In vitro antifungal activity of extract and plumbagin from the stem bark of Diospyros crassiflora Hiern (Ebenaceae).

In this study the methanol/dichloromethane (1:1) extract and plumbagin isolated from extract of stem barks of Diospyros crassiflora were tested for their antifungal activity against 12 strains of yeast pathogens and filamentous fungi: Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium sp. and Penicillium sp. The growth of all fungi strains tested was inhibited by the extract and plumbagin. The diameter of inhibition zones varied from 12 to 18 mm and from 21 to 35 mm for the extract and plumbagin, respectively. The MIC values ranged from 12.5 to 25 mg/mL for the extract and 0.78-3.12 microg/mL for plumbagin. It is therefore suggested that extracts from the stem bark of Diospyros crassiflora could be used traditionally in the treatment of fungal infections. Compared with ketoconazole used as a standard antifungal, plumbagin could be considered as a promising antifungal agent. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.