Abstract:
The plant Venonia amygdalina (Asteraceae) has been ethnomedicinally reported to have  antifungal activities. There is the need to have convenient dosage formulations that would be therapeutically useful to patients. The present study seeks to screen for the presence of secondary metabolites present in the plant and then evaluate the extract and ointment formulations against certain selected fungal organisms. The extract was obtained from pulverized dried leaves with ethanol 98%v/v at powdered leaves to solvent ratio 1:10.The plant extract was screened phytochemically using standard procedures. The extract was formulated into ointment at concentrations 0%w/w, 2.5%w/w, 5.0%w/w, 7.5%w/w and 10.0%w/w respectively. The ointment formulations were evaluated against Tricophyton tonsurans and Tricophyton rubrum as test organisms using Whitfield ointment as reference standard. The extraction gave a yield of 6.60%w/w. The phytochemical screening indicated presence ofsaponin, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides. The extract showed activity against Tryhophyton tonsurans with mean inhibition zones of 7.00± 0.01mm to 16.00±0.02mm and Tricophyton rubrum with mean inhibition zones of 2.00±0.01mm to 14.00±0.02mm for all the concentrations tested with the exception of 0%w/w, the negative control. Ointment formulations gave inhibition zone of 6.00±0.01mm to 12.00±0.02mm against Tricophyton tonsurans at all concentrations while it had inhibition zone of 4.00±0.01mm against Tricophyton rubrum at 7.5%w/w and 10.0%w/w concentrations respectively. This compares fairly well with Whitfield ointment with inhibition zone of 24.00 ±0.03mm and 37.50±0.03mm against Tricophyton tonsurans and Tricophyton rubrum respectively. The results of this work show that Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract ointment has potential in treating certain fungal infection of the skin.

Keywords: Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Extract, Ointment, Inhibition, Tricophyton tonsurans, Tricophyton rubrum.