ANTIFUNGAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF AFRICAN PEAR FRUIT DACRYODES EDULIS OBTAINED FROM OBA MARKET IN BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT

Fungi causing diseases to man has been a challenge due to their multi drug resistance nature, so a need to develop potent drugs that can combat these organisms causing infection has become the motive of medical researchers. For this reason the fruit of Dacryodes edulis (African pear) was analyzed for its antifungal and phytochemical properties. The fruit was obtained from Oba market, Benin city, dried, blended and macerated using sterile distilled water and methanol as solvent, the extract was concentrated and stored in a cool dry place The test organisms Aspergillus niger, Penicillum spp and Candida albicans which was used in the course of this study were cultured using Potato dextrose agar. Cultural and morphological characterization was examined to ascertain the identity of the isolates which was used for the antifungal testing, phytochemical properties of the extracts was determined. The result of the standard antifungal activity of fruit extracts of Dacryodes edulis shows zone inhibition of Aspergillus niger to be (NYSTATIN 11.75±0.829, VORICONAZOLE 27.75±1.785) Penicillum spp (NYSTATIN 10.20±0.14, VORICONAZOLE 11.20±0.80) and Candida albicans (NYSTATIN 18.75±0.433 VORICONAZOLE 16.00±0.00). Phytochemicals screening reveals the presence of phenol, flavonoid, saponin and tannin in both weak and high presence in aqueous and methanol extracts of the fruit extract, from the experiment carried out it shows that aqueous and methanol extract of Dacryodes edulis was not very active against the fungi isolates, although research work carried out by other scientist as shown activity against some bacterial isolate. It is therefore recommended that adequate research should be carried out to ascertain if it can be a suitable or potential antifungal candidate.