Antidermatophytic

Clitora ternatea is a disease resistant plant used in ethno-pharmacological preparations for its high therapeutic value of primary and secondary metabolites. The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of quercetin in plant parts of Clitoria ternatea and its antifungal activity on dermatophytes. To obtain chemical pattern of flavonoids and quercetin in different plant parts, the extraction solvent was standardized and a finger printing profile of flavonoid was established by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The greatest amount of flavonoid was observed in methanolic extracts of C.ternatea flowers while the lowest level was found in the C.ternatea stem extracts, whereas HPLC fingerprinting of flavonoids in flowers was significantly different from stem and leaf extracts. These extracts also differ in their fungicidal capacity against dermatophytes tested, although they all showed significant antifungal activity against Candida sp.. and Aspergillus sp.. flower extracts showed concentration dependent strong inhibition on growth of Microsporum gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum, and weak inhibition on Trichophyton metagraphytes. The results of this study will be used to promote application of C.ternatea for improving human health by providing antidermatophytic effect on skin infections.

In the present work ethylacetate and methanolic bark extract of Aegle marmelos(L) Correa, Alstonia scholaris (L)R.Br, Alstonia venenata (L)R.Br, Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook .F.Thoms, Dilenia pentagyna Roxb, Macaranga peltata Roxb Mueller, Oroxylum indicum (L)Vent, Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC and Zizipus oenoplia (L) Mill, were tested against Trychophyton rubrum a clinical isolate from skin scrapings of Taenia Corporis  using Agarwell diffusion method and its minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) was also determined by Broth dilution method. Out of all the Methanolic bark extracts Oroxylum indicum Vent showed highest zone of inhibition followed by Alstonia venenata Linn, at 50 µgrams concentration. Clotrimazole was used as standard antifungal drug. MIC was found to be between 10µg - 1000µg per ml. Oroxylum indicum and Alstonia venenata showed MIC proportional to their zone of inhibition. Both bark extracts could be potential natural healing agents against Ringworm  or Taenia disease . Further investigation is needed to identify the compound which was present in both the plant barks to develop a novel drug.