Abstract:
Aqueous extracts and ethanolic extracts of dried stem bark of Pongamia pinnata (Magulkaranda), dried stem of Rubia cordifolia Linn (Welmadata), tender leaves of Jasminum officinale Linn(Jasmine), dried stem of Berberis ceylanica (Daruharidra) and Garcina zeylenica (Goraka) were used in this study. Berberis ceylanica (Daruharidra) and Garcina zeylenica (Goraka) are endemic plants of Sri Lanka. Aqueous extracts were prepared as the traditional ayurvedic practice by boiling chopped pieces of herbs in 6 volumes of water down to 1 volume to obtain neat concentration, and Ethanolic extracts were prepared according to hot ethanolic extracting method. The neat concentration of stock solution was made by dissolving 250mg of the plant extract (ethanolic) in 1 ml of Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Five clinical isolates and a standard strain from each Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis were tested in triplicates using well diffusion method with Flucanazole and Amphotericin B as positive controls.
Aqueous extract of Berberis ceylanica had an average zone of inhibition of 4.6mm against Candida albicans and no zone of inhibition against Candida prapsilosis. Ethanolic extract of Berberis ceylanica had an average zone of inhibition of 15.7mm against Candida albicans and 13.6mm against Candida prapsilosis. The ethanolic extract of Rubia corditolie had an average zone of inhibition of 2.2mm against Candida albicans while none of the aqueous extracts had any effect. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Jesminum ottic inale , Pongamia pinnata and Garcina zeytenice did not give any zone of inhibition to both species.
Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of endemic plant Berberis ceylanica and ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia have potential antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Candida prapsilosis. Further studies should be carried out to determine the cell cytotoxicity and in vivo activity of this extract
