COMPARATIVE ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF SHEA, LEMON AND LIME FRUIT EXTRACTS ON SOME FUNGAL CLINICAL ISOLATES ASSOCIATED WITH SKIN INFECTIONS
Abstract
This project is carried out on comparative antifungal activities of shea, lemon and lime fruit extracts on some fungi clinical isolates associated with skin infection. The study aimed at comparing the antifungal activities of shea butter, lemon, and lime fruit extracts on clinical fungal isolates associated with skin diseases to identify the most effective natural antifungal agent. Fruit samples were collected from local farms in Lafia and shea butter was bought from Lafia market and taking to IMAP laboratory for proper examination. The selected fungal clinical isolates (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Trichophyton rubrum) were collected from Dalhatu Speciaist Hospital, Lafia. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of each sample were prepared and tested at various concentrations (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) to evaluate their effectiveness in inhibiting fungal growth using agar well diffusion method. The results indicate that both lemon and lime extracts exhibited significant antifungal activity, particularly in their ethanol forms, with the highest inhibition zones reaching up to 22mm for lime against Candida albicans. In contrast, the antifungal activity of shea butter extracts was moderate, with maximum inhibition zones of 17mm against Candida albicans when using the ethanol extract. Aspergillus niger was inhibited at 20mm in Aqueous lemon extract and the Trichophyton rubrum was inhibited in the highest concentration of ethanol Lemon extracts. The study underscores the potential of lemon and lime extracts as effective natural alternatives for the treatment of skin infections caused by these fungi, while also highlighting the enhanced efficacy of ethanol extraction compared to aqueous method. The study therefore recommends that, further research involving clinical trials should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these extracts in treating fungi infections in human.
Key words: Fungi, Aqueous, Anti-fungi, Lime fruit, Shea butter, Clinical Isolates
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