Antifungal Activity of Neem Leaf Extract With Eucalyptus citriodora Oil and Cymbopogon martini Oil Against Tinea Capitis: An In-Vitro Evaluation

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-05, Vol.16 (5), p.e59671-e59671
• Main Authors: Tiple, Rupali H, Jamane, Shamli R, Khobragade, Deepak S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antifungal agents; Dermatology; Fungal infections; Fungi; Hair loss; Integrative/Complementary Medicine; Oils & fats; Pathogens; Phytochemicals; Public Health; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59671

Introduction Tinea capitis, often known as ringworm of the scalp, is a fungal infection that affects the scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows. It is generally caused by dermatophytes from the genera and and are the main etiological agents responsible for most of the cases of tinea capitis globally. Tinea capitis commonly manifests as itchy, scaly patches of hair loss. Tinea capitis is the prevailing dermatophyte illness among children globally. Methods An in-vitroevaluation study was conducted to assess the antifungal properties of ethanolic extracts of neem leaves and the oils of and , both individually and in combination. The agar-well diffusion method and the M38-A2 microbroth dilution method were employed to evaluate the antifungal efficacy against pathogenic dermatophyte strains, namely and . The fully mature green leaves were treated with ethanol to make the neem leaf extract. Additionally, high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis was carried out to determine the contents of the terpenoids. Fluconazole, an antifungal drug, is used as a standard. Results The findings demonstrated an overall inhibition of the growth of dermatophytes at a minimal inhibitory concentration of 187.5 and 375 μg/ml for neem leaf extract and 0.625 to 2.5 μl/ml for selected herbal oils, whereas it was 0.25 μg/ml and 0.50 μg/ml for positive control against  and  respectively. Conclusion The phytochemical investigation of the ethanolic extracts in neem leaves revealed the presence of terpenoids, which are known for their significant biological activity. The study's findings demonstrated the therapeutic capabilities of neem leaf extract in combination with the oils of and for managing the tinea capitis infection. A broader and improved antifungal spectrum was seen when neem leaf extract and oils were combined. Therefore, it can be developed into a suitable formulation for the management of tinea capitis.