European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIAL OF QUERCUS INFECTORIA GALLS AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS-AN INVITRO STUDY

Fateh AL Rahman Magbool, Elamin Ibrahim Elnima, Shayoub M. E. and Salah Eldin Omar Hussein*

ABSTRACT

The promising potential of antimicrobial plant derived substances has attracted the attention of pharmaceutical and scientific communities during the last few years. The primary benefit of plant derived medicines is that they are relatively safer than their synthetic counterparts and offer profound therapeutic benefits and more affordable treatment. Quercus infectoria is a small tree or a shrub belonging to the Fagaceae (Quercaceae) family. The Gall of Quercus infectoria is described in detail in ethnobotanical and literature to possess various pharmacological actions such as analgesic, anti- inflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, antistomatitis, deodorant, derivative, desiccant, expectorant, germicidal, hypnotic, hypoglycaemic, powerful astringent, sedative, local anesthetic, antiviral, antibacterial, larvicidal and antifungal activities. The main constituents found in the galls of Q. infectoria are tannin (50-70%) and small amount of free gallic acid and ellagic acid. This study was performed to assess the antifungal effects of the extracts of Q. infectoria Galls, against Candida albicans with cup-plate agar diffusion method. In the present study the extract the plant was tested for their bioactivity against C. albicans. Extract of Q Infectoria Galls showed potential activity against the tested fungal isolate. According to the results of this study, the effect of Clotrimazole (positive control) was more than plant extracts effects, while the effect of antifungal drug Nystatin used in this study (Table 5) with the extract of Q. Infectoria Galls showed that Nystatin was effective in the treatment of candida infection with inhibition zone 28 mm at concentration 50 μg/ml, low activity at concentration 25 μg/ml with inhibition zone 14 mm and in active at concentration 12.5 μg/ml this means that Q. Infectoria Galls with more anticandidal potency than Nystatin chemotherapeutic antifungal agent used in this study. This study thus provides a useful database of the therapeutic bioactivity of Quercus Infectoria Galls against C. albicans, Thus effort must be making for isolation, standardization and clinical evaluation of such phytochemicals in order to obtain lead compounds for further new drug discovery.

Keywords: Extract, Candidiasis, Bioactivity, Antifungal Activity.