Phytochemical and antifungal screening of Acalypha wilkesiana Mull Arg (Euphorbiaceae) leaf extract in cream formulations

Main Article Content

Aremu Olusola Isaac
Adekoya Christiana Tolulope

Abstract

The plant Acalypha wilkesiana (Euphorbiaceae) has been ethnomedicinally reported to have antifungal activities. There is the need to have convenient dosage formulations that would be therapeutically useful to patients .The present study seeks to screen for the presence of secondary metabolites present in the plant and then evaluate the extract and cream formulations against certain selected fungal organisms. The extract was obtained from pulverized dried leaves with ethanol 95%v/v at powdered leaves to solvent ratio 1:10.The plant extract was screened phytochemically using standard procedures.The extract was formulated into cream at concentrations 0%w/w,
2.5%w/w, 5.0%w/w, 7.5%w/w and 10.0%w/w respectively. The cream formulations were evaluated against Tricophyton tonsurans and Epidermophyton floccosum as test organisms using ketoconazole cream as reference. The extraction gave a yield of 10.68%w/w. The phytochemical screening indicated presence of saponin, tannins and alkaloids. The extract showed activity against Tryhophyton tonsurans only with mean inhibition zones of 10.00mm to 16.00mm for all the concentrations tested. Cream formulations gave favourable physical characteristics and zones of inhibition of 12.00mm and 15.00mm against Tricophyton tonsurans at 7.5%w/w and 10.0%w/w concentrations respectively. This compares favourably with ketoconazole cream with inhibition zone of 18.00mm. The results of this work show that Acalypha wilkesiana leaf extract cream has potential in treating fungal infection of the skin due to presence of Tricophyton tonsurans.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Isaac, A. O. ., & Tolulope, A. C. . (2020). Phytochemical and antifungal screening of Acalypha wilkesiana Mull Arg (Euphorbiaceae) leaf extract in cream formulations. Nigerian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Applied Science Research, 5(1), 36–41. Retrieved from https://www.nijophasr.net/index.php/nijophasr/article/view/109
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Aremu Olusola Isaac

Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin.

Adekoya Christiana Tolulope

Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Sagamu Campus

References

Adesina SK, Idowu O, Ogundaini AO, Oladimeji H, Olugbade TA, Onawumi GO and Pais M.(2000). Antimicrobial constituents of the leaves of Acalypha wikesiana and Acalypha hispida. Phytotherapy research. 14(5): 371-374.

Akinde, BE(1986): Phytochemical and Microbiological evaluation of the oils from the leaves of Acalypha wikesiana. In: Sofowora, A.(ed). The state of medicinal plant research in Nigeria: University of Ibadan Press,.Pg 362-363.

Aulton M E (1996). Pharmaceutics- The Science of Dosage Form Design . 8th ed.New York: Churchill Livingstone Publishing House: 269-270.

Bako SP, Bakfur MJ, John I and Bala EI. (2005). Ethnomedicinal and Phytochemical profile of some savanna plant species in Nigeria. Int.J. Bot. 1(2): 147-150.

Bimark M.(2010). Comparison of different extraction methods for the extraction of major bioactive flavonoid compounds. Food Bioprod Process. 5: 1-6.

Birk Y and Petri I.(1980). Saponinsin: Toxic constituents of plants focal stuffs, 2nd ed. Academic press Inc. New York: 161-182.

Cowan MM.(1999). Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clinical microbiology reviews. 12(4): 564-582.

Hodek P, Trefil P, Stiborova M.(2002). Flavonoids – Potent and versatile biologically active compounds interacting with cytochrome P450. Chemico-biol. Int;139(1): 1-21.

Ikewuchi CC and Ikewuchi JC. (2009). Comparative study on the vitamin composition of some common Nigerian Medicinal Plants. Pac. J.Sci.Tech: 367-371.

Lutterodt, G.D., Ismail, A., Basheer, R.H and Baharudin, H.M. 1999.Antimicrobial effects of Psidium guajava extracts as one mechanism of its antidiarrheal action. Malaysian J.Med. Sci. 6 (2),17-20.

Marjorie, M.C1999. Plant products as antimicrobial agents. Clin Microbiol Rev 12(4), 564-582.

Oladunmoye MK. (2006). Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activities and phytochemical screening of two varieties of Acalypha wikesiana. Trends in Appl.Sci.res. 1:134-136.

Oyelami OA, Onayemi O, Oladimeji A and Onawumi O.(2003). Clinical evaluation of Acalypha ointment in the treatment of superficial fungal skin diseases. Phytotherapy Research. 17: 555-557.

Sofowora A. Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicinal in Africa. 2nd Ed. Sunshine House, Ibadan, Nigeria: Spectrum Books Ltd; 1993. Screening Plants for Bioactive Agents; pp. 134–156

Trease GE, Evans WC. Pharmacognosy. 15th Ed. London: Saunders Publishers; 2002. pp. 42–44. 221–229, 246–249, 304–306, 331–332, 391–393.

World Health Organization.(2001). General.Guidelines for Methodologies on Research and Evaluation of Traditional Medicines.

World Health Organization. (2005). National Policy on Traditional Medicine and Regulation of Herbal Medicines. Geneva: Report of WHO global survey.