In vitro antifungal activity of some South African medicinal plants

Abstract

The acetone extracts of 12 plants used in folkloric medicine in the Eastern
Cape of South Africa, were investigated for their in vitro antimycotic activity
against five fungi using the agar dilution method. The extracts showed significant
inhibition of growth of the test organisms at varying concentrations. Extracts
from Arctotis arctotoides showed the highest activity at concentrations varying
from 0.1 to 10mg ml^-1, followed by Usnea barbata, a lichen, while Grewia
occidentalis demonstrated the least activity. Extracts from A. arctotoides, U.
barbata,
Combretum caffrum, Aloe ferox, Salix capensis, Schotia
latifolia and Prunus
persica were fungicidal at 10mg ml^-1 which was the highest concentration tested.
The fungi differed significantly in their susceptibility to plant extracts
with Alternaria alternaria, and Mucor hiemalis, being completely inhibited
at 5 and 10mg ml^-1 by most of the extracts.

South African Journal of Botany 2002, 68: 72–76