Abstract

In our study, it was aimed to determine antifungal activity of Peganum harmala on medically important yeasts and molds in vitro. Fungal suspensions of Candida spp. and aspergillus spp. isolated from the clinical specimens were treated with serial dilutions of P. harmalaalcoholic extract in Sabouraud Broth. The titers included: 1/20, 1/40, 1/80, 1/160, 1/320, 1/640, and incubated for 24 h at 30°C. Anti fungal activity of the extract was determined as MIC and MFC. For the determination of MFC, a small volume of above serial dilutions was cultured on SGA 4% medium. After 24 to 72 h of incubation at 30°C, the cultures were looked for fungal growth. The highest and lowest inhibitory effects of P. harmala extract were determined on C. glabrata (MIC: 0.312 mg/ml) and C. albicans (MIC: 1.25 mg/ml), respectively. The MFC for Candida species was differed from 0.62 to 2.5 mg/ml. The highest fungicidal effect was seen on C. glabrata and C. tropicalis (MFC: 0.62 and 0.125 mg/ml, respectively) and the lowest was for C. albicans (MFC: 2.5 mg/ml). The treatment of Aspergillus suspensions with Perganum extract showed a decreasing of growth and sporolation without definite inhibition. The alcoholic extract of P. harmala showed a fungicidal activity on opportunistic yeasts, Candida spp., and a decreasing sporolation for aspergillus most important species.

Key words: Growth inhibitory, Peganum harmala, fungi.