Comparative Study of the Antimicrobial Efficacy of Three Medicinal Plants against Dermatophytic Pathogens

Bixa orellana, Jatropha curcas and Cassia alata are three of the prominent plants used for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Dermatophytosis also known as tinea or ringworm is the most frequent superficial fungal infections in Nigeria.   Objective: In this Present Study, We Aimed at Comparing The Phytochemical Components and the Antifungal Efficacy of these Medicinal against Selected Dermatophytes.  Study Design:  Cross Sectional Study among a Particular Population. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State. Between March 2019 and September 2019. Methods: The phytochemical contents of the plants were determined and the in-vitro antifungal activities of Bixa orellana, Jatropha curcas and Cassia alata were screened against seven species of Trichophyton (T. ajelloi, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, M.gypseum T. soudenensis, T. tonsurans and T. verrucosum) using agar dilution method.   Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the  presence  of  flavonoid, saponin, phenol, steroids, glycoside,  phytosteroids, alkaloids, terpenoid, tannin, and  cardiac glycoside in various quantities. The findings from our study showed that the ethanol extracts of these medicinal plants have more antifungal activities than other solvents. However, the hexane and ethanol extracts of Jatropha curcas was observed to be significantly higher than other extracts. The zone of inhibition recorded ranges from 22 mm-32 mm and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 mg/ml was recorded.  Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of Jatropha curcas showed broad effectiveness against the tested pathogens when compared to other plants and we conclude that the plants antifungal property is concentration dependent. However, we recommend further studies on these plants extracts using a large number of different isolates and solvents.