Screening Of Various Plant Extracts For Antifungal Activity Against Candida Species

Candida is a part of normal micro flora of human body and is commonly isolated from blood stream infection. Since very early in human history, people have relied on medicinal plants to cure them of various ills. The Use of plant extracts to treat microbial infections are reported in our ancient Ayurvedic Medicinal system. Taking into account, five different plants; Vitex negundo (leaf), Adathoda vasica (leaf), Azadirachta indica (leaf), Mentha piperita (leaf) and Curcuma longa (rhizome) were selected for antifungal activity against Candida. Fresh leaves of plants were collected randomly from Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India except Azadirachta indict which was collected from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (India). Nine clinical Candida isolates were collected from National Culture Collection of Pathogenic fungi (N.C.C.P.F) P.G.I.M.E.R Chandigarh India. Various extracts of the selected plants were tested for their antifungal activity against Candida species. A significant antifungal activity was shown by all five plant extracts. This study will help us to design new natural therapeutic strategies against Candida associated infections.