Antifungal Activities of Phytochemically Characterized Hydroethanolic Extracts of Sclerocarya birrea Leaves and Stem Bark against Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans Strains.

The study evaluated the antifungal activities of the 70% ethanol extracts of Sclerocarya birrea leaves (SBL) and stem bark (SBB) against C. albicans strains and fluconazole-resistant isolates, their antifungal effects in combination with conventional antifungals as well as their effects on the biofilms of the C. albicans strains and isolates. UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis was then carried out to investigate the metabolite profile of the extracts and UPLC fingerprints developed for their routine identification as part of quality control measures. The extracts exhibited considerable antifungal activity with MIC ranging from 12.21 to 97.66 µg/mL and MFC from 12.21 to 390.63 µg/mL against the C. albicans strains and isolates. The antifungal activity of the stem bark extract was higher than the leaf extract. SBL and SBB also significantly inhibited biofilm formation (IC50 = 12.49 to 164.42 µg/mL) and the mature biofilms (IC50 = 91.50 to 685.20 µg/mL) of the strains and isolates of the C. albicans and demonstrated potential for their use in combination therapies with currently used antifungals especially the stem bark extract with nystatin. Metabolite profiling identified the presence of polyphenolic compounds in both leaves and stem bark mostly flavonoids, their derivatives, and proanthocyanidins, which contribute in part to the bioactivity of the plant. Whereas flavonoids like quercetin, myricetin, and their derivatives were abundant in the leaves, epicatechin monomers with their condensed tannins, including procyanidin B2 and procyanidin C, were abundant in the stem bark. Fingerprints of SBL and SBB were developed and validated and could be used as qualitative tools to authenticate the plant. The outcomes of the study show the promise of the leaf and stem bark extracts of S. birrea to be studied further and developed as antifungal agents.

Anthelmintic Agents from African Medicinal Plants: Review and Prospects.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis affects more than 1.5 billion people globally and largely remains a sanitary problem in Africa. These infections place a huge economic burden on poor countries and affect livestock production, causing substantial economic losses and poor animal health. The emergence of anthelmintic resistance, especially in livestock, and the potential for its widespread in humans create a need for the development of alternative therapies. Medicinal plants play a significant role in the management of parasitic diseases in humans and livestock, especially in Africa. This report reviews anthelmintic studies that have been conducted on medicinal plants growing in Africa and published within the past two decades. A search was made in various electronic databases, and only full articles in English were included in the review. Reports show that aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts and polar fractions obtained from these crude extracts form the predominant (80%) form of the extracts studied. Medicinal plants, extracts, and compounds with different chemical groups have been studied for their anthelmintic potential. Polyphenols and terpenoids are the most reported groups. More than 64% of the studies employed in vitro assays against parasitic and nonparasitic nematode models. Egg hatch inhibition, larval migration inhibition, and paralysis are the common parameters assessed in vitro. About 72% of in vivo models involved small ruminants, 15% rodents, and 5% chicken. Egg and worm burden are the main factors assessed in vivo. There were no reports on interventions in humans cited within the period under consideration. Also, few reports have investigated the potential of combining plant extracts with common anthelmintic drugs. This review reveals the huge potential of African medicinal plants as sources of anthelmintic agents and the dire need for in-depth clinical studies of extracts, fractions, and compounds from African plants as anthelmintic agents in livestock, companion animals, and humans.