Exploration of antifungal potential of extracts of leaves of Ocimum gratissimum against Microsporum gypseum

Abstract

Ocimum gratissimum is a famous herb generally known as Ram Tulsi or Camphor basil. It is a small to mid size herbal plant belonging to Lamiaceae family. The plant usually grows upto height of 2 feet, morphology of leaves revealed that it has cloves-like flavour and odour that makes it an important herb in many cuisines. Ram Tulsi is a vital herb with enormous benefits. The main aim behind this research was to evaluate the antifungal activity of extracts of dried powdered leaves of Ocimum gratissimum in different solvents on the basis of polarity by means of paper disc diffusion method in concentration of 25 µml, 50 µml and 100 µml against Microsporum gypseum. Clotrimazole was selected as a standard drug for comparison. From the results obtained with this research, it was observed that Ocimum gratissimum is an effective candidate to treat dermatophytic infections caused by Microsporum gypseum. The Ocimum gratissimum leaves extracts in ethanol revealed the maximum zone of inhibition of 17.320+ 0.85mm and 39.486% of mycelial inhibition against dermatophytic fungal strain with concentration of 100 µml. In addition to that, extracts made from other solvents also showed antidermatophytic activity but in lesser proportion than the ethanol extracts. It was found that ethanol extract of Ocimum gratissimum is best effective against tested strain. Present investigation of antifungal activity of Ocimum gratissimum extracts has proved it to be a vital candidate, predominantly in removal of dermatophytic infection caused by a particular fungal strain.