DISCOVERY OF ANTIFUNGAL PLANTS IN ARGENTINEAN SAN LUIS PROVINCE: ETHNOMEDICAL INFORMATION OR RANDOM SELECTION?

Abstract

This study reports the antifungal evaluation of eighty-two crude methanolic extracts of plants from San Luis province, Argentina, which were selected on the basis of their reported ethnomedical uses and compared them with plants selected at random. The extracts were screened for antifungal properties against yeasts and filamentous fungi and the concentration that completely inhibited the fungal growth (MIC) was determined. For the antifungal evaluation, the microbroth dilution assay recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute was used. For the statistical analysis the Pearson’s Chi Square test and the Score’s test were used. The results showed that 25 out of the 40 PE plants (62.5%) were active (MIC ? 1000 µg/mL) unless in one group of fungi; 6 (15%) were active in yeasts; 4 (10%) were active in Aspergillus spp. and 25 (62.5%) were active in dermatophytes. In turn, among the 42 PW species, 4 (10%) were active (MIC ? 1000 ug/mL) unless in one group of fungi, 1 (2.5%) were active in yeasts, 1 (2.5%) were active in Aspergillus spp. and 4 (10%) were active in dermatophytes. In addition, it is observed a clear trend of extracts to display lower MICs within PE group, against dermatophytes (p < 0.01) fungi responsible of superficial infections. These findings suggest that the ethnopharmacological approach is useful in guiding the discovery of antifungal plants. 10.5216/ref.v9i1.17775