ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF MITRACARPUS-VILLOSUS (RUBIACEAE)

Extracts of Mitracarpus villosus leaves and inflorescences were investigated individually for in vitro antifungal activities by agar-diffusion and tube-dilution techniques. Ethanolic extracts produced definite antifungal activities against Trichophyton rubrwn, Microsporum gypseum, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani. The aqueous extracts and the glycerol vehicle control did not inhibit any of the fungi tested. The zones of inhibition produced by the ethanol extracts ranged from 10 to 20.5 mm while ketoconazole control ranged from 9 to 19 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts ranged from 0.50 to 4.0 mg/ml while their minimum fungicidal concentration values ranged from 1 to 8 mg/ml. These results indicate that the extracts were fungistatic at lower concentrations and fungicidal at higher concentrations.