Antifungal Activity Based Studies of Amaryllidaceae Plant Extracts

Abstract

The growth in demand for cosmetic, graft and organ transplant surgical procedures, the increased use of antineoplastic and immunosuppressive agents, as well as multidrug resistance are some of the factors responsible for the marked rise in fungal infection rates in recent years. Consequently, there have been renewed calls from both the public and private sectors for new and improved drug targets to replace existing antifungal therapies, many of which have been in clinical circulation for several decades. Plants select themselves in such endeavors owing to their superior numbers and vast chemical diversities. With this as a backdrop, this survey examines the antifungal activities of Amaryllidaceae plant extracts against various fungal pathogens. Good growth inhibitory activities (MICs <1 mg/mL) reported in several instances are noteworthy and could guide efforts targeting the active antifungal principles.