In spite of the therapeutic importance of
Aristolochia bracteolata
Linn. in Nigerian ethnomedicine, it is largely
collected from the wild. Owing to the acclaimed potency of the plant and the difficulty in treating candidiasis, the anticandidal
activity and
in vitro propagation of the plant were investigated. Phytochemical screening and preparation of extracts of the roots
were done using standard procedures. Clinical isolates of
Candida albicans
were screened against extracts and essential oil of
Aristolochia bracteolata root using agar-well diffusion method. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the ethanol extract
was determined using broth dilution method. The nodal cuttings of
A. bracteolata were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS)
basal media.
A. bracteolata contained alkaloids, saponins and cardenolides. The water extract was inactive on all isolates. The
ethanol extract (500 mg/ml) and essential oil (undiluted) exhibited anticandidal activity on 9 out of 10 isolates at 10
1 – 10
6 cfu/ml
inoculums concentration. Green growth and callus formation were observed in explants cultured on MS basal media after 30 days.
A. bracteolata could be a source of anticandidal phytomedicine and the
in vitro propagation confirmed its sustainability as
anticandidal agent.
