Assessment of Antifungal Efficacy of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of M. tinctoria Leaves against Selected Fungal Pathogens

Abstract

Dermatophyte infections from Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, and Epidermophyton floccosum are difficult to manage from a public health standpoint, especially with the current resistance to antifungal medication. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Morinda tinctoria leaves to assess its antifungal activity since the plant is known for its antifungal properties in folk medicine. The leaves of the plants were gathered and then air dried. After this, the extraction processes were done using water and 40% ethanol. Through the screen tests conducted, certain bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins, steroids, and terpenoids were found. The highest concentrations detected in the ethanolic extract were particularly alkaloids and phenols at 10.835±0.015 g/100g and 7.355±0.005 g/100g respectively. To test for the antifungal properties, disc diffusion method was conducted alongside measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). The higher efficacy in antifungal activity was noted in the ethanolic extract whereby M. canis had the highest zone of inhibition at 24.00 ± 2.00 mm and the lowest MIC values of 6.25 ± 0.00 mg/mL for M. canis and E. floccosum. On the other hand, moderate activity was recorded with the aqueous extract, which had higher MIC and MFC values. Therefore, it was concluded that the ethanol-based extract of M. tinctoria has significant antifungal potential comparable to clotrimazole. Conduct further in vivo studies and compound isolation to advance its development as a plant-based antifungal therapy is recommended. This study contributes to the growing scientific evidence supporting the use of traditional medicinal plants in combating fungal infections, especially in low-resource settings.