Phytopharmaceuticals. Part 1. Antifungal Activity of Selected Iranian and Canadian Plants

Abstract

Crude extracts from 40 Iranian and Canadian plants were tested for their antifungal activity against several species of Aspergillus, Candida, and Cryptococcus. Of the 40 plant extracts, 26 (65%) showed activity against at least one fungal strain. The extracts with the most wide spectrum of activity were related to Diplotaenia damavandica, Heracleum persicum, Sanguisorba minor, and Zataria multiflora. The high percentage of activity among the studied plants might be attributed to the non-random nature of the selection. A total number of eight factors was used to select the plants in this study. Cytotoxicity test in KB cells was performed on some of the most promising plant extracts. Diplotaenia damavandica and Bunium persicum were found to exhibit the lowest cytotoxicity among the plants studied.