Abstract

IN VITRO STUDY OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT PREPARED FROM SENNA ALATA LINN LEAF

Ankur Borah*, Anup Baishya, Pinki Malick and Meghali Nag

Abstract

Senna alata linn is one of an important medicinal plant used in many folk culture or traditional practices in treatment in various diseases. Many people had claimed this plant to be beneficial. The leaf, roots, bark of the plant is used especially its leaves are claimed to be highly antimicrobial. The leaves are used for its antifungal property. To evaluate its efficacy scientifically the leaves of the plant was collected and sundried. Then this sundried leaves was extracted using 95% ethanol. This ethanolic extracts were used to evaluate antifungal activity against three isolates of pathogenic fungi namely Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton verricosum, S.Tricosa respectively. Standard strengths from these extract 100l, 150l, 200l were made to see the efficacy against the fungal variant. The process used to access the efficacy is well diffusion method. The result of this study showed a significant dose dependent antifungal activity in ethanolic leaf extracts on the selected clinical isolates of pathogenic fungus. It is seen from the study that the 150l and 200l strength had shown a significant MIC value on the strains compared to 100l strength. The values of MIC for strength of 150l is 27mm on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 32mm on Trichophyton verricosum, 25mm on S. Tricosa while the values for strength of 200l is 28mm on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 32mm on Trichophyton verricosum, 40mm on S. Tricosa respectively. But the MIC value for 100mg strength is 13mm in Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 13mm in Trichophyton verricosum and no growth on S. Tricosa. In conclusion it can be said that the claim made by the folk practioners that Senna alata is a potent antifungal is true and is scientifically proved.

Keywords: Senna alata, ethanolic extract, MIC values, Soxhlet apparatus, Fungus.