title: Safety and efficacy of green foliage in the treatment of fungal infections and associated clinical conditions.
abstract: Forty five crude extracts of nine selected medicinal plants, based on their use in respiratory and other disorders in traditional systems of medicine were analyzed for their potential activity against three pathogenic species of Aspergillus. The presence of phenols, tannins, flavanoids, terpenoid, steroids, alkaloids and saponins in the different extracts was established. The crude extracts were examined for antifungal activity in concentration ranging from 5000.0 to 19.53 µg/ml using microbroth dilution assay in which twenty two extracts exhibited the anti-Aspergilli activity. The petroleum ether extract of Justicia adhatoda and water extract of Commelina bengalensis exhibited the maximum activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. Their in vitro minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were found to be 156.0-312.0 µg/ml by microbroth dilution and spore germination inhibition assays. In disc diffusion assay, at concentration of 10 µg/disc of some crude extracts showed significant activity against Aspergilli. The toxicity (in vitro and in vivo) of bio-active fractions was evaluated, in which the extracts isolated from J. adhatoda were found to be non-toxic. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) studies were performed for various extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform and acetone) of J. adhatoda which resulted in the identification of several bioactive compounds. The antifungal activity along with acute toxicity, cyto-toxicity as well as genotoxicity of extract fractions from J. adhatoda justifies the use of such screening in the expedition for new drugs.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biotechnology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak -124001, Haryana, India. anil.chhillar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhankhar
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhankhar
authors.forename: Sonam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruhil
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Mrridula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narwal
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balhara
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chhillar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000187:drug effects; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000187:drug effects; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018547:Plant Stems; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts