title: Antifungal activity of different neem leaf extracts and the nimonol against some important human pathogens.
abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of aqueous, ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts from neem leaves on growth of some human pathogens (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Candida albicans and Microsporum gypseum) in vitro. Different concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20%) prepared from these extracts inhibited the growth of the test pathogens and the effect gradually increased with concentration. The 20% ethyl acetate extract gave the strongest inhibition compared with the activity obtained by the same concentration of the other extracts. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis of ethyl acetate extract showed the presence of a main component (nimonol) which was purified and chemically confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis. The 20% ethyl acetate extract lost a part of its antifungal effect after pooling out the nimonol and this loss in activity was variable on test pathogens. The purified nimonol as a separate compound did not show any antifungal activity when assayed against all the six fungal pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of science, Ain-Shams University , 11566, Abbassia, Cairo , Egypt.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hassanein
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abou Zeid
keywords: Aqueous and organic extracts; Azadirachta indica; Fungal inhibitory effect; HPLC
references.citation: Microbiol Res. 2007;162(3):238-43
references.pmid: 16872817
references.citation: Arch Oral Biol. 2006 Jun;51(6):482-90
references.pmid: 16412377
references.citation: J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Jul 2;51(14):3966-72
references.pmid: 12822931
references.citation: Curr Med Chem Anticancer Agents. 2005 Mar;5(2):149-6
references.pmid: 15777222
references.citation: J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 May;92(1):23-36
references.pmid: 15099843
references.citation: Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2002 Jul;45(3):311-3
references.pmid: 12785173
references.citation: Indian J Med Microbiol. 2003 Apr-Jun;21(2):98-101
references.pmid: 17642990