Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF THE ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES FROM THE HYDRO-ETHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM THE SPERMACOCE OCYMOIDES (RUBIACEAE) PLANT

Theophile Mistral Mpaba Minkat*, Anne-Cécile Zoung-Kanyi Bissek, Marcellin Ndoe Guiaro*, Ericson Djeutassong Segning, Yves Iwewe, Georges Cédric Mouncharou, Grace Nkoro, Joseph Ngoupayo and Hortense Gonsu

ABSTRACT

The increase in fungal resistance to classic drugs and the fact that most antifungal drugs only have fungistatic activity justify the search for new strategies to combat fungal infections. For this purpose, the antifungal and antioxidant potentials of the Spermacoce ocymoides (Rubiaceae) plant, collected in the KALA village, found in the Mbankomo subdivision, and Mefou & Akono division, Center region (Cameroon), were evaluated by antioxidant assays (DPPH radical and ABTS cation trapping assay and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power assay) and antifungal assay (Microdilution in liquid medium). The results obtained from the hydro-ethanolic extract of the Spermacoce ocymoides plant, showed that it had fungicidal and fungistatic activity on all the fungal strains of Candida tested with minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations (MIC and MFC), between 1.25 mg/mLand 10 mg/mL. This antifungal activity appeared to be weaker than the one of fluconazole, used as the reference antifungal. We also found that the hydro-ethanolic extract of this plant possessed an antioxidant activity which appeared slowly at low concentration (less than 62.5μg/mL), but increased in a dose-dependent manner with the concentration of the extract in the reaction medium. The antioxidant activity of the hydro-ethanolic extract from this plant, thus seemed to be effective over time and long-lasting, compared to the one of vitamin C, which seemed rather to be limited in time and to appear quickly at low concentrations (less than 62.5μg/mL). These results would, in other words, justify the use in traditional medicine of the leaves of Spermacoce ocymoides in the poultice form for the treatment of fungal infections from the skin.

Keywords: Spermacoce ocymoides, Candida albicans, Candida Parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Antifungal activity, Antioxidant activity, Hydro-ethanolic extract.