ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF BITTER LEAF (VERNONIA AMYGDALIN) ON RINGWORM

ABSTRACT Dermatophytoses is one of the most frequent human skin diseases of medical importance. Antimicrobial efficacy of Vernonia amygdalina leaves extracts on some human dermatophytes was studied among fifty (50) childrens selected from a primary school with signs of ringworm, age between 3-10 years in Aliero metropolis. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the leaves were screened for alkaloids, anthraquinone, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins and gylcosides. Antifungal activity of the extracts was tested by agar well diffusion method and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) determined. The leave extracts revealed the presence of the phytochemicals i.e alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins, gylcosides with the exception of anthraquinone. The disease is more common (56.5%) in children from 10 years and below. All the affected children had two or more spots on their scalp, indicating presence of Tinea capitis (scalp ringworm). Microsporum species was the most frequent (47.8%) dermatophyte isolated, followed by Trichophyton species (23.9%). The zones of inhibition exhibited by the extracts against the fungal isolates was found within the range of 10.20 to 22.50 mm and varies with the concentration of the extract. Highest MIC value of 65.10mg/ml was found against Epidermophyton and the least 57.50 mg/ml was obtained on Microsporum. These results revealed that the extracts had significant antimicrobial efficacy against the fungal isolates tested and can be a cheap source of bioactive materials for the production of anti-dermatophyte drugs.