ANGELES, LATUPAN, MITRA, SANTOS, SOTTO, VALENZUELA

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF PLECTRANTHUS
AMBOINICUS’ (CUBANOREGANO) CRUDE
ETHANOLIC EXTRACT AGAINST
TRICHOPHYTON  MENTAGROPHYTES

A B S T R A C T
Plants with medicinal properties have been applied for a long period of time in the traditional healthcare system. The proponents of this study aimed to
contribute to the advancement of agriculture and healthcare systems through developing home-grown remedies in common skin diseases. The study was carried
out with an objective to investigate the antifungal potentials of Plectranthus amboinicus (Cuban Oregano) leaves and the positive phytochemicals that are
probable contributors for the antifungal property. The aim of the study is to assess the antifungal activity, to determine the zone of inhibition of the crude
ethanolic extract per diluted concentrations, and determine the significant differences per ratio of concentration. Before conducting the experiments, the leaves
of the oregano went through preliminary analysis, where a sample of the Cuban oregano leaf was set into the screening material to determine its authenticity.
After the preliminary analysis, 1.5 kilograms of oregano leaves were crushed, chopped and dried, leaving a yield of 664.23 grams of chopped and dried leaves. The
leaves of Cuban Oregano were extracted through maceration, Soxhlet extraction and Rotary evaporation with a 95% grade ethanol as its solvent. After the
extraction, a crude ethanolic extract with an 81.331 g/mL was procured. The researchers took a 50 g/mL sample from the extract to be used in the proceeding
methods of phytochemical screening. The crude ethanolic extract of the Cuban Oregano went through Phytochemical screening to determine the phytochemical
constituents present in its leaves. The results of the screening revealed that the extract was positive in Flavonoids, Saponins, and Phytosterols. The qualitative
analysis for the positive phytochemicals was further used to support the hypothetical claim regarding the antifungal activity of the extract. Along the process of
phytochemical screening, the preparation for fungal culture was held. The researchers followed preliminary sterilization procedures before proceeding into the
culturation. The researchers used a solid culture media, where in the Trichophyton mentagrophytes sample was inoculated into a petri dish with an Agar-Agar
medium (Mueller-Hinton Agar) and was incubated for about 7 days. After the fungi has grown, it was dispensed into culture tubes and was sealed and brought into
preparation for the antifungal assay. After the phytochemical screening, the remaining extract of 30.331 g/mL and was divided into three portions resulting into
10.444 g/mL per sample and was further diluted into three ratios of concentrations (100% pure crude ethanolic extract, 75% - crude ethanolic extract with 25% 95%
grade ethanol, and 50% crude ethanolic extract and 50% 95% grade ethanol). Each of the concentrations was investigated for antifungal activity against
Trichophyton mentagrophytes through Kirby-Bauer's disk diffusion assay method and assessed its zone of inhibition. Results revealed that the 100%
concentration or the pure crude ethanolic extract showed greater zones of inhibition in all three trials with an 8 to 10 mm range per disk producing a p-value of
0.85027 which is greater than the standard p-value 0.05. Moreover, the 100% pure crude ethanolic extract showed constant results all throughout the experiment
compared to the 75% concentration and the 25% concentration which showed no effect or no inhibition.

Results and Discussion

M MACERATION

E The result of the One-Way Anova showed that the p-value of the 100% concentration
is 0.85027, meaning there are no significant differences between trials. This is

T
greater than p-value 0.05, meaning that it is not an effective agent against
Extraction using Soxhlet Apparatus and
Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The 100% concentration of the oregano extract
Rotary Evaporator showed that it has a constant effect on the zone of inhibition. The average of the
H effect ranges from 8 to 10mm. On the other hand, using 50% and 75% concentration
of the extract did not produce any effect on the fungal infestation and produced 0
O PHYTOCHEMICAL value of zone of inhibition, hence, did not reduce the size of the fungi.

D SCREENING
CONCLUSION
O The researchers ought to conclude that there are no significant differences between the three
concentrations of the oregano extract. The results were based on the One-Way ANOVA, which showed

L DILUTION a p-value of 0.85027 which is higher than that of 0.05. Thus, the researchers accept the null hypothesis.
Although there are no significant differences, the 100% concentration have a constant effect on the

O zone of inhibition. It has an average effect of 8 to 10mm, which is relatively higher than the standard
6mm. Thereby stating that the concentration is an effective antifungal agent. The two other

G ANTIFUNGAL
concentrations, 50% and 75%, have no effect on the inhibition at all.

Y
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Plectranthus Amboinicus Leaf. Retrieved from
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