Crude and Nano Enhanced Antifungal Properties of Acalypha wilkesiana leaf extract against Trichophyton mentagrophytes

nkechinyere ogbonnaya; Mojisola Christiana Owoseni; Aleruchi Chukwu; Chukwuemeka Nworie

doi:10.62050/ljsir2026.v4n2.813

المؤلفون

nkechinyere ogbonnaya
nkechinyereagwao@gmail.com

Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State,Nigeria
Mojisola Christiana Owoseni
Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State,Nigeria
Aleruchi Chukwu
Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State,Nigeria
Chukwuemeka Nworie
Grooming People for Better Livelihood Centre, Ejigbo, Lagos State, Nigeria

الكلمات المفتاحية:

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الملخص

Trichophyton mentagrophytes is a dermatophyte fungus responsible for infections of keratinized tissues such as the skin, hair, and nails. This disease can be caused by poor hygiene, a warm environment, and an individual's weakened immune system. In this study, we examined the antifungal properties of crude and nano-enhanced Acalypha wilkesiana against T. mentagrophytes. Leaves of Acalypha wilkesiana were extracted with ethanol by maceration. Phytochemical analysis was conducted using conventional methods, and zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared using a green synthesis technique. The Antifungal potential of A. wilkesiana was evaluated using the agar well diffusion test and microdilution method. The data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, with a significance at P ≤ 0.001. The presence of alkaloids (5.82 ± 0.12 mg/g), flavonoids (8.35 ± 0.15 mg/g), and phenols (7.96 ± 0.21 mg/g) was noted during phytochemical screening. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis confirmed ten compounds in the extract. Among the compounds, palmitic acid had the highest percentage peak (18.2%) with a molecular weight of 256 and a retention time of 5.43 minutes. The nano-enhanced formulation demonstrated greater inhibition zones than the crude formulation. Particularly, nano-formulated A. wilkesiana demonstrated significant improvement in antifungal properties against T. mentagrophytes (F = 1,261.50; P ≤ 0.001), with a zone of inhibition of 32.00 ± 1.00 mm compared to 23.00 ± 1.00 mm for the crude extract. Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values showed a dose-response effect on the fungi.

Dimensions

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