Antifungal Activity of Echinops echinatus and Fagonia cretica from Cholistan Desert-Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Fungal infections are getting worse due to their resistance against available antibiotics and have always remain a problem. Homoeopathic mother tinctures are part of therapy in clinical patients with less side effects and much efficient against pathogenic infections. Methodology: Echinops echinatus and Fagonia cretica plant mother tinctures were performed and used to evaluate the anti-fungal potential of these plants against potentially pathogenic fungal species like Candida albicans, Aspergillus ustus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus by agar disc diffusion method. Three doses were used (0.25 ml, 0.5 ml and 1 ml volume per disc) and zone of inhibition was observed in millimetres and compared with positive control Fluconazole (2 mg/ml) which is commercially available. Results: The results indicated efficacy of both mother tinctures showed remakarble activity against pathogens with zone of inhibition ranging 17.33 – 30.33 mm. Conclusion: Current work indicated anti-infective potential of plants which can be added in therapy of infections in future after confirmation in in-vivo models.