Available online 14 February 2015
Open Access
Original Article
In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity, liver profile test, and mutagenic activity of five plants used in traditional Mexican medicine
- Open Access funded by Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia
- Under a Creative Commons license
Abstract
Berberis hartwegii Benth., Berberidaceae, Hamelia patens Jacq., Rubiaceae, Dendropanax arboreus (L.) Decne & Planch., Araliaceae, Erythrina herbacea L., Fabaceae, and Zanthoxylum caribaeum
Lam., Rutaceae, acetone extracts were selected on the basis of their
use in traditional Mexican medicine to treat scabies or skin diseases.
Anti-dermatophyte activity in vitro was evaluated using the agar dilution assay, and the therapeutic efficacy of B. hartwegii and Z. caribaeum were tested against experimental tinea pedis.
The infected animals were treated intragastrically daily for seven days
with 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of acetone extracts. The acetone extract of H. patens exhibited 100% growth inhibition against T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosum at 100.0 and 50.0 μg/mL, respectively, and B. hartwegii inhibited growth of M. canis and T. mentagrophytes at 100.0 μg/mL. Effective treatments with 2.5 mg/kg of Z. caribaeum and B. hartwegii
extract were comparable with 1 mg/kg of clotrimazole in mice. Liver
profile tests and histological analyses did not exhibit any signs of
toxicity and the Ames test indicated that both extracts were safe when
evaluated in strains TA98, TA100 and TA102. Our results suggest the
potential for the future development of new antifungal drugs from B. hartwegii or Z. caribaeum.
Graphical abstract
