DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2017.v05i03.017

Pages: 224-229

In developing countries infectious diseases constitut a public health concern. The objective of this study is to assers the antifungal activity of the stem bark of Hunteria eburnea, a medicinal plant frequently used in several therapeutic formuli in the region of Haut Sassandra (Ivory Coast) against microbial diseases. An ethnobotanical survey in the region of Haut Sassandra allowed us to select Hunteria eburnea, one of the most used species in the treatment of skin diseases. In order to learn more about this plant and identify it well on the field, we have, in this study, made its botanical description and an evaluation of its antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. This study shows that Hunteria eburnea has an in vitro antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans (MFC = 6.25 mg/mL), Candida albicans (MFC = 25 mg/mL) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (MFC = 3.12 mg/mL). Trichophyton mentagrophytes with (MFC = 3.12 mg/mL; IC50 = 0.5 mg/mL) is the most sensitive fungal germs with 70 % ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Hunteria eburnea, which justifies the use of its bark in traditional environment.