Antifungal Activity of Endemic Salvia tigrina in Turkey

Purpose: The ethanol extracts obtained from the leaves, rootstock and the combined formulation of endemic Salvia tigrina Hedge & Hub.-Mor. (Labiatea) have been investigated for their antifungal activities. Method: The antifungal activity of the extract was tested against Candida species (C. albicans ATCC 10231, C. tropicalis ATCC 13803 and C. guilliermondii ATCC 6260 and Cryptococcus species (C. neoformans ATCC 90112 and C. laurentii 34142), Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium frequentans, Botrytis cinerea, Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria alternara by the visual broth macrodilution method. Ketoconazole was used as a positive reference standard to determine the sensitivity of the strains. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 3.12 to 25 mg/mL. All the extracts exhibited a strong antifungal effect against the fungal cultures. The extracts exhibited greater antifungal effect against C. albicans, C. neoformans and B. cinarea. Conclusion: The findings provide support for the use of this plant in traditional medicine for fungal infections especially against candidiasis.