Antifungal activity and phytochemical screening of the crude extracts of Khaya ivorensis Juss (Meliaceae) and Tetracera potatoria L. (Dilleniaceae)

Abstract

The antifungal properties of ethanol, cold water and boiled water extracts of the bark of Khaya ivorensis and root of Tetracera potatoria were investigated using the disc diffusion agar method. All the extracts inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A niger, Candida albicans, Microsporum audonii, Trichoderma viride and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The ethanol extract was the most active against fungi and the cold water extract was the least active of the three extracts for each of the plants. Preliminary phytochemical studies of K. ivorensis and T. potatoria extracts revealed that they contain anthocyanins, flavonoids, steroids and tannins. Anthraquinones, phlobatannins and saponins were absent in all the extracts.