Evaluating the Anti-Fungal Activity of Green-Stemmed and Red-Stemmed Basella alba Leaf Extract against Candida tropicalis
Keywords:
Basella alba, Candida tropicalis, Kirby-Bauer Susceptibility Testing, PhilippinesAbstract
Background: Candida tropicalis holds clinical significance and is identified as the second or third leading cause of candidemia, particularly prevalent in Latin American nations and Asia.
Objectives: The primary goal of this study is to significantly advance the field of antifungal therapies, especially in relation to diseases caused by C. tropicalis. The study aims to investigate novel treatments and develop alternative therapeutic approaches that may open up new avenues for future research.
Methods: Green-stemmed and red-stemmed Basella alba leaves were collected, authenticated, and extracted through ethanol maceration. The phytochemical constituents of the extracts were quantified by determining total flavonoid, tannin, and phenolic contents using the aluminum chloride colorimetric assay, FeCl₃ colorimetric method, and Folin–Ciocalteu assay, respectively. Antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis was evaluated using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test with 10% phenol and sterile distilled water serving as positive and negative controls, respectively.
Results: The phytochemical screening of Green-stemmed and Red-stemmed Basella alba leaf extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids at 25.5 and 28.8 μg/ml, tannins at 32.2 and 32.5 μg/ml, and phenols at 11.8 and 12.6 μg/ml, respectively, indicating potential antifungal properties. However, when assessed against Candida tropicalis using Kirby-Bauer Susceptibility Testing, both extracts showed no antifungal activity, as indicated by the 0 mm zone of inhibition.
Conclusion: This ineffectiveness can be attributed to factors including temperature, the decomposition of phenols by Candida tropicalis, the presence of oxygen, acidity, and transport.
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