Susceptibility of a weed Calotropis procera (Ait.) against clinical isolates of dermatophytes

Anti-dermatophytic activity of foliar extract of Calotropis procera in different solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethyl alcohol) was determined using paper disc diffusion method against three target fungi Microsporum canis (MTCC 3270),Microsporum fulvum (MTCC 7675) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (MTCC 7250). The results revealed that ethanol is the best extractive solvent for antifungal properties followed by chloroform, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether respectively. The best antifungal activity was recorded in the ethanol extract of C. procera leaves against M. canis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ethanol extract was also observed. Present study concludes that leaves of C. procera demonstrated strong inhibitory effect on the test organisms and established a good support for the use of C. procera in traditional medicine. Ethanol extract of C. procera leaves is a potential antidermatophytic agent with a high anti-dermatophytic property.   Key words: Antidermatophytic activity, Calotropis procera, disc diffusion method, folk medicines, minimum inhibitory concentration.