Antifungal effects of various extracts from three Artemisia species against dermatophytosis fungal agents

Dermatophytosis is one of the most important superficial infections in humans and animals worldwide. Artemisia species, as rich resources of natural products, have a high potential to treat many human diseases. The present study was conducted to investigate the antifungal effects of various extracts from three Artemisia species against dermatophyte fungi.

For in vitro study, aerial parts of Artemisia aucheri, Artemisia turcomanica, and Artemisia kopetdaghensis were extracted using five different solvents: petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and hydro ethanol (50%), and were screened for their anti-dermatophytic effects against Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton verrucosum, and Microsporum canis. Afterward, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was performed according to the agar dilution method. The most active extracts were subjected to preliminary phytochemical studies.

In the first screening of the extracts (concentration of 2 mg/ml), E. flucosum with no growth in the culture medium containing 13 extracts out of 15 was the most sensitive, and T. rubrum with no growth in 7 extracts from 15, including petroleum ether extracts obtained from A. aucheri, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and hydroethanolic extract obtained from A. turcomanica treatment; petroleum ether, ethylacetate and hydroethanolic obtained from A. kopetdaghensis treatment showed the highest resistance to the extracts. In the MIC results, the tested fungi were sensitive to all or some of the concentrations (ranging from 61.9 to 1981.1μg/ml). The lowest MIC value (61.9 μg/ml) was recorded for petroleum ether extract derived from A. turcomanica against E. floccosum. The preliminary phytochemical research results showed the presence of terpenoids and sterols in these extracts.

Some lipophilic components of the various extracts, especially petroleum ether extracts from A. aucheri, A. turcomanica, and A. kopetdaghensis, have in vitro anti-dermatophytic effects.