Volume 19, Issue 43, January - June, 2025

Preliminary Standardization and Antifungal Potential of the Ethanol Extract of Emilia praetermissa leaf on Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger

Lawrence U Nwankwo^1♦, Christiana O Akpo², Uyoyo M Ukpe³

^1,3Department of Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta State Unversity, Abraka, Nigeria.
²Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Lawrence Uchenna Nwankwo, Department of Pharmacognosy and Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Delta State Unversity, Abraka, Nigeria;

ABSTRACT

Fungal infections caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger has become a rampant global health challenge, particularly among immunosuppressed individuals. Conventional antifungal drugs are available with setbacks such as drug resistance and adverse effects, prompting the need for alternative therapies. This research aims to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of Ethanol Extract of Emilia praetermissa leaf against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. In this study, Emilia Praetermissa leaf was extracted using cold maceration technique. Phytochemical and Physicochemical tests was evaluated using standard procedures. The antifungal effect of the plant extract was evaluated against laboratory isolates of Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Standard antifungal tests using microdilution method were performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). To ascertain the zones of inhibition, agar well diffusion method was employed. The ethanol extract of Emilia praetermissa leaf demonstrated significant antifungal activity against both Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. For Candida albicans, the highest zone of inhibition was seen at 300 mg/mL and the least at 18.75 mg/mL. However, when compared, the positive control (Fluconazole) had a higher zone of inhibition. For Aspergillus niger, the least zone of inhibition was at 18.75 mg/mL while its highest was at 300 mg/mL. In contrast, the control (Fluconazole) had no effect. The MIC for both Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger was 37.5 mg/mL. This study therefore, suggests that Ethanol Extract of Emilia praetermissa leaf possesses antifungal activity against tested isolates.

Keywords: Emilia praetermissa, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Phytochemical, Physicochemical

Drug Discovery, 2025, 19(43), e8dd2063

PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v19i43.e8dd2063

Published: 07 May 2025