ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF DATURA ALBA LEAVES EXTRACT AGINST MALASSEZIA GLOBOSA

Abstract

The main advantages of using herbal medicines are that they are relatively less dangerous compare to chemical or artificial medicines and offer profound recreational benefits. The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Datura alba leaves extract against Malassezia globosa. D. alba, commonly known as Angel's trumpet, is a medicinal plant with potential antimicrobial properties. The leaves of D. alba were collected, dried, and prepared ethanolic and aqueous extract. The resulting extract was tested for its antifungal activity against M. globosa, a pathogenic fungus known to cause various infections in humans. The antifungal activity was assessed using agar well diffusion method. The extract demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on the growth of M. globosa, as indicated by the zone of inhibition observed in the agar well diffusion assay. The ethanolic and aqueous were active against M. globosa. The ethanolic extract show maximum activity (5 mm) while aqueous extract shows moderate activity (2 mm) against M. globosa, for positive control Ketoconazole was used to maintain positive control during well diffusion method. The observed antifungal activity may be attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds in the extract, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and other secondary metabolites compounds, known for their antimicrobial properties.

Keywords: Phytochemical screening, Ethanolic and Aqueous extract