Evaluation of the Combination Effects of Extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis and Adansonia digitata on Clinical Fungal Isolates
Iniekong Udoh
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Enugu State. Nigeria.
Veronica Emenuga *
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Enugu State. Nigeria.
Clara Eleazar
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences. University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State. Nigeria.
Uzoamaka Maduakor
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Enugu State. Nigeria.
Ngozika Achukwu
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Enugu State. Nigeria.
Patience Ezeah
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. Enugu State. Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: The proliferation of fake drugs and the multiple resistance seen in conventional fungicidal drugs has led to the use of medicinal plants to treat fungal infections. There are claims that Jatropha tanjorensis and Adansonia digitata have fungicidal potentials, hence this study.
Aim: To evaluate the combination effects of the extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis and Adansonia digitata on clinical fungal isolates.
Study Design: Randomized sampling of the plants was done by harvesting the plants from different farm in Nsukka Enugu State.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Enugu State, South East of Nigeria, from November 2023 to March 2024.
Methodology: Phytochemical screening was done on the two plants. The methanolic and aqueous (cold and hot) extracts of these plants bark and stem were assessed for their antifungal activities against six fungal isolates using agar diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were done according to standard methods.
Results: The plants contain alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, tannin, glycoside and phenol. The hot water extracts of J. tanjorensis stem gave higher zones of inhibition diameter (IZD) than the methanolic extracts and the methanolic extracts of A. digitata bark gave higher IZD than the aqueous extracts. The combination of these two potent extracts showed greatest inhibition on Aspergillus niger, Candida albican and then least inhibition on Trichophyton shoenleinii, this was found to be statistically significant at (P<.05), the P value was (P=0.001). The lowest (MIC) and (MFC) were recorded in A. niger and Candida albican at (1.5625mg/ml) while the highest (MIC) and (MFC) were recorded in T. shoenleinii, at (25mg/ml).
Conclusion: This study revealed that the combined plant extracts were more effective against opportunistic fungi than the dermatophytes.
Keywords: Jatropha tanjorensis, Adansonia digitata, ffungi organisms, aantifungal susceptibility, mminimum inhibitory concentration