STM Article Repository

Aim: Considering the significance of candidiasis among pregnant women, the study was designed to investigate the anticandidal effect of extracts of Trametes elegans (Spreng: Fr.) Fr. (fam.: Polyporaceae) against Candida species isolated from pregnant women and to screen for the phytochemical constituents of the crude extract of T. elegans.

Place and Duration of Study: Candida species were isolated from 132 high vaginal swabs (HVS) collected from pregnant women attending ten selected hospitals in Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, Nigeria.

Methods: Extracts of Trametes elegans was prepared with methanol, acetone and n-hexane. Phytochemical screening of the macrofungus extracts were thereafter performed qualitatively and quantitatively. The isolated Candida species were subjected to antifungal assay to determine the anticandidal efficacy of the macrofungus extracts.

Results: A total of 67 Candida isolates were obtained from the patients. The prevalent organisms were C. albicans (49/67, 73.13%), C. glabrata (9/67, 13.43%), C. krusei (6/67, 8.96%) and C. tropicalis (3/67, 4.48%). Methanol gave the highest yield (3.4 mg/g), while n-hexane gave the least (0.7 mg/g). All the extracts contained saponin, tannin, steroid, terpenoid and cardiac glycosides, while flavonoid was only found in acetone extracts. Saponin was highest (31.77 mg/g) while flavonoid content was least (1.65 mg/g). Zones of inhibition ranging from 5.00 to 30.00 mm, 4.00 to 15.67 mm and 4.33 to 17.67 mm were produced by methanol, acetone and n-hexane extracts respectively. Methanol extract of T. elegans produced the highest anticandidal activity with an inhibition zone of 30.00 mm against isolate A3 (C. albicans.) The least inhibition zone (4.00 mm) was recorded with acetone extract of T. elegans against isolate A2.

Conclusion: The high anticandidal activity exhibited by mushroom extracts suggests that bioactive compounds from these mushrooms could be developed into antifungal agents for the treatment of candidiasis.