In vitro antifungal activity of flower extract of Pandanus odoratissimus against dermatophytic fungi

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Pandanus odoratissimus oil against dermatophytic fungi, and it was compared against the two commonly used antifungal agent’s fluconazole and griseofulvin. Methods: A total of seven strains of dermatophytes were tested for antifungal activity using oil extracted from the flower of P. odoratissimus by using agar-well diffusion method and the zone of inhibition was compared with antifungal agent’s fluconazole and griseofulvin. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the tube-dilution method. Results and Conclusion: The zone of inhibition varied from 16.32 to 19.76 mm for fluconazole, 12.12–18.16 mm for griseofulvin, and 2.5–9.59 mm and 7.63–12.88 mm for 2.5 mg/ml and 5 mg/ml of P. odoratissimus extract, respectively. Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton violaceum showed the lowest MIC value of 0.15 mg/ml. The results of our study have shown that the extract from P. odoratissimus can work significantly better against fungal diseases caused by dermatophytes. It was also found that it acts as a perfect alternative to the currently available antifungals such as fluconazole and griseofulvin.