| Popis: |
Conventional antifungal agents are expensive withnumerous side effects. Senna didymobotrya plants are known topossess antifungal potential as extensively used by the people ofcentral Kenya in the treatment of ringworm (Tinea capitis)Themain aim of this study was to analyze the most expound bioactivecompounds present in this plant’s leaves crude extracts anddetermine its antifungal potency. Solvent extraction was doneusing water, methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-hexanesolvents. The extracts were characterized for physical-chemicalparameters, bio-metals, functional groups, phytochemicals andantifungal properties. Both water and methanol extracts wereneutral while the rest of the extracts were slightly acidic. Theextracts showed appreciable conductivities with methanol(123.05±2.88mS), water (73.43±34.85mS) and more solubilityvalues at 250C. The infrared spectra of the compounds indicatedpresence of carbonyl groups, alcohols, organometalliccompounds and halides. All the S. didymobotrya leaves extractscontained essential bio-metals in considerable concentrations.Flavonoids, phenolic compounds and alkaloids were the mostpronounced phytochemicals present, especially in methanol andwater extracts. The chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts hadthe highest of mycelial growth inhibitions in the leaves extracts,(16mm and 15mm respectively). In conclusion, water, methanoland chloroform extracts were found to be more suitable formedicinal applications. |
