title: Antifungal activities of six South African Terminalia species (Combretaceae).
abstract: A serial microplate dilution method developed for bacteria was modified slightly and gave good results with several fungi. The antifungal activity of acetone, hexane, dichloromethane and methanol leaf extracts of six Terminalia species (Terminalia prunioides, Terminalia brachystemma, Terminalia sericea, Terminalia gazensis, Terminalia mollis and Terminalia sambesiaca) were tested against five fungal animal pathogens (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Microsporum canis and Sporothrix schenkii). Methanol extracted the highest quantity, but the acetone extracts had the highest antifungal activity. Some of the extracts had antioxidant activity. Most of the antifungal extracts had MIC values of c. 0.08 mg/ml, some were with MIC values as low as 0.02 mg/ml. Microsporum canis was the most susceptible microorganism and Terminalia sericea extracts were the most active against nearly all microorganisms tested.
authors.affiliation: Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masoko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Eloff
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018515:Plant Leaves; D013019:South Africa; D029766:Terminalia
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts