Pharmacological Potentials of stem bark of Cola nitida in Dermatophyte infections

ABSTRACT

Background: Three genera of the most-common human pathogenic keratinophilic dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton) from the human skin, nails and hair known for their pathogenicity were used in this study.

Aim: This study therefore, addresses the pharmacological potentials of Cola nitida extracts on human dermatophytes.

Methods: Pulverised bark of Cola nitida were processed by formulating the ethanol extract, which was assayed against human Microsporum canis, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum strains. Histo-pathological examinations included daily assessment of inflammation, reddening for 14 days, and other symptomatic features typical of dermatophytic infection, as well as determination of macroscopic abnormalities at tissue levels of the experimental animals.

Results: The MIC of the extract ranged between 22.5 and 3120µg/ml and the MBC ranged between 45 and 3120µg/ml, the MICs of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton tonsurans were less than 100µg/ml and the mechanism of antibiosis indicated that the formulated ethanolic extract was highly bactericidal. In the time kill assay, the percentage log reduction of the viable cell count ranged between 0.35log 10 cfu/ml at 2h to 0.96log 10 cfu/ml at 4h for Trichophyton tonsurans while it ranged between 0.29log10 cfu/ml at 2h to 0.85log10 cfu/ml at 4h. The histo-pathological study reveals a steady regeneration of tissue cells after 7 days of treatment with the formulated extract.

Conclusion: This result showed that the extract exhibited a broader spectrum antifungal activity that compares well with the synthetic drug of use in the treatment of dermatophytes infection.