Isolation of Dermatophytes and Screening of selected Medicinal Plants used in the treatment of Dermatophytoses

Antidermatophytic activities of five selected medicinal plants (leaves) used traditionally in the treatment of dermatophytoses. The screened plants include; Euphorbia balsamifera Ait, Mitracarpus scaber Zucc, Pergularia tomentosa L, Streospermum kunthianum Cham and Holarrhena floribunda (g, Don) Dur. And Schiz. A total of two hundred and fifty samples were obtained from infected skin, hair and nails of individuals within Sokoto metropolis. Four dermatophytes were identified to specie level and one to genus level; they include Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Microsporum audouinii, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum specie. The percentage prevalence of isolated dermatophytes indicated T. rubrum had the highest percentage of 27.6 %, while other samples that could not be identified as dermatophytes had the least percentage of 8.4 %. The results of aqueous, hexane and chloroform extracts of P. tomentosa and M. scaber have exhibited promising antidermatophytic activities against T. rubrum, T. mentagrophyte and M. gypseum at 10 mg/ml respectively. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations and Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations of the extracts produced inhibitory action on T. rubrum, T. mentagrophyte and M. gypseum at 10 mg/ml each. Findings from this research proved that P. tomentosa and M. scaber are more active than the conventional antifungal drug Grisiofulvin. Therefore, this reseach reinforce the use of P. tomentosa and M. scaber in Nigerian traditional medicine for treating skin infections caused by some dermatophytes.