In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Acacia leucophloea Roxb Willd Against Selected Pathogenic Fungi Using Agar Disc Diffusion Method

Abstract

Medicinal plant research provides important opportunities for identifying natural antifungal agents for managing fungal infections. However, the antifungal potential of Acacia leucophloea against selected pathogenic fungi remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of the ethanolic aerialpart extract of A. leucophloea and compare its activity with clotrimazole. Aerial parts collected from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, were authenticated, dried, powdered, macerated with ethanol, filtered, and concentrated by solvent evaporation. Phytochemical screening was performed to identify major bioactive constituents. Antifungal activity was evaluated against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger using the agar disc diffusion method at 250, 500, and 1000 µg concentrations. Inhibition zones were recorded. The 1000 µg concentration generally produced greater inhibition than lower concentrations, although activity remained lower than clotrimazole. The findings demonstrate measurable antifungal potential and support further investigation of A. leucophloea as a source of bioactive antifungal compounds.