Antifungal activity of Ficus sycomorus L. extracts against dermatophytes and other associated fungi isolated from Camels ringworm lesions

Abstract

Ficus sycomorus antifungal efficacy against some dermatophytes and other associated fungi isolated from Camels ringworm lesions was investigated in this study. Camel shows a high importance part of the national livestock population in Egypt including transportation in the desert and as a source of milk and meat. In this study, a total of 26 fungal species appertaining to 13 genera were recovered from camel hair and skin lesion samples. The most dominant fungal genera were Aspergillus followed by Trichophyton and Microsporum. The medicinal plant, Ficus sycomorus methanol fractions 20% and 40% of root, stem-bark and leaf showed a promised antifungal activity against isolated fungi. Whereas, all tested dermatophytic fungi (Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei, Microsporum audouinii and M. gypsum) and the cycloxamide-resistance fungi (Fennellia nivea, Choaenophora cucurbitarum , Aspergillus carneus and A. fumigatus) showed high sensitivity to 40% methanol fraction except Fennellia nivea which showed the highest sensitivity to the stem-bark (20% methanol fraction). In the HPLC analysis for flavonoids content of the methanolic fractions (20% and 40%) of the different plant part (stem-bark, leaf and fruit), twenty-one compounds were detected. F. sycomorus plant extracts possess a potent antifungal effect, especially with dermatophytes.