Anti-Fungal Effects of Aerial Part Extracts of Artemisia biennis, Artemisia ciniformis, and Artemisia turanica

Dermatophytosis is a significant skin disease in both humans and animals. Its resistance to common treatments is on the rise. Allylamines, polyenes, and azoles are prominent groups of anti-fungal drugs used to treat dermatophytosis. Various species of Artemisia, which are widely distributed in Iran, are regarded as a rich source of natural compounds with valuable biological activities. This research aimed to determine the anti-fungal effects of aerial part extracts of Artemisia biennis, Artemisia ciniformis, and Artemisia turanica.

This descriptive study examined the petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanolic, and hydroalcoholic aerial part extracts of Artemisia biennis, Artemisia ciniformis, and Artemisia turanica against fungi causing dermatophytosis. The investigated fungi included Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton verrucosum, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum cannis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test was performed based on the agar dilution method. The most active extracts were investigated in preliminary phytochemical tests.

In the initial screening, Epidermophyton floccosum and Microsporum cannis exhibited the highest resistance (11 out of 15) and sensitivity (12 out of 15), respectively, to the tested extracts. Petroleum ether extracts from all three Artemisia species were the most active extracts used in the tests. Hydroalcoholic extracts showed the least anti-dermatophytic activity. The lowest MIC (78.1 μg/mL) was recorded for the petroleum ether extract of Artemisia ciniformis against Trichophyton rubrum. Preliminary phytochemical studies showed the common presence of terpenoids in all plant species extracts.

Some lipophilic compounds present in petroleum ether extracts of Artemisia biennis and Artemisia ciniformis, as well as dichloromethane extract of Artemisia biennis, exhibited significant in vitro anti-dermatophytic activities.