Dermatophytic infections remain a major public health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, due to increasing resistance, cost, and adverse effects associated with conventional antifungal agents. This study evaluated the in vitro antidermatophytic activity of ethanol leaf extracts of Codiaeum variegatum and Byrsocarpus coccineus against selected dermatophytes. The antifungal activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method against Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum at concentrations of 50, 25, and 12.5 mg/ml. Chloramphenicol (5 mg/ml) served as the positive control. The ethanol extract of C. variegatum exhibited marked antidermatophytic activity against all test organisms, with M. canis showing the highest susceptibility. Zones of inhibition ranged from 18 to 60 mm, with notable activity observed at lower extract concentrations. The leaf extract of B. coccineus also demonstrated appreciable antifungal activity, although with comparatively lower inhibitory effects. Its highest zones of inhibition was recorded against E. floccosum at 12.5 mg/ml (40 mm). The observed antifungal activities are attributed to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds. These findings support the ethnomedicinal use of both plants in the management of fungal skin infections and highlight their potential as sources of novel antidermatophytic agents.
Akanji et al. (Mon,) studied this question.