Efficient antidermatophytic agents to fight clinical Tinea spp. using Salvia multicaulis and Hypericum scabrum-based sustainable NCs

Abstract

Increased problems associated with side effects and microbial resistance of chemical drugs have promoted the research focus of herbs and herbs-based medicines as renewed interest. The present study studied the antifungal potential of Hypericum scabrum (H. scabrum), Salvia multicaulis (S. multicaulis) plants and their derived sustainable NCs against dermayophyton species. These plants were used as free-toxic solvent media and phytogradiant reductants to fabricate nanoformulations as alternative antimycotic drugs. Analysis of antifungal activity showed a noticeable inhibition of the trychophyton mycelial growth when cultured on SDA mixed with different doses of the plant extract, particularly 50% H. scabrum that stopped mycelial growth of  T. mentagrophytes  and T. verrcuosum thoroughly after 10-day incubation by of 100 % MGI, followed by Ag@Fe3O4@SiO2 with particle size around 20 to 60 nm,  that record ( 67.64 and 63,.33 % of MGI) by 50 µg ml−1 application respectively. The lowest effect of  H. scabrum and Ag@Fe3O4@SiO2 at high concentrations was against T. simii (44.44 % and 16 % MGI). The maximum antifungal activity of 50 % Salvia multicaulis and 50 µg ml−1 CuO@SiO2 NC with an average diameter of 60 nm was found against T. mentagrophytes and T. verrcuosum with (66.66 and 51.47 % MGI), respectively, while the minimum activity was found against T. quinckeanum and T. simii (33.33 and 13.33 % MGI), respectively. Thus, these plant extracts and NCs could be used to develop a new medication for dermatophytosis.