Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access

Abstract

In vitro Antifungal activity of leaf extracts from Aloe secundiflora, Bulbine frutescens, Vernonia lasiopus and Tagetes minuta against Candida albicans

Rachuonyo HO, Gatheri GW, Ogola PE, Arika WM, Wambani JR, Kebira AN and Kamau DN

Crude leaf extracts from medicinal plants were screened for in vitro antifungal properties against clinical isolate of Candida albicans. The antifungal test was carried out using the Kirby Bauer method. All the extracts from the plants tested showed antifungal activity against clinical isolate of Candida albicans with the extract from Vernonia lasiopus being more active as compared to the others. The minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 4.0 to 8.9 mg/ml. The standard antifungal used as positive control was fluconazole (15 μg/ml) whereas dimethyl sulphoxide and distilled water were used as negative control. Preliminary screening for the presence of phytochemicals was also done to determine if there was presence of any, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and alkaloids.