COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF THE RHIZOMES OF GINGER AND THE LEAVES OF

The rhizomes of Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) and leaves of Eucalyptus saligna and Polyalthia longifolia are used as herbs for the treatment of some diseases. A comparative study on the antifungal activities of the aqueous extracts of these plants with candida albicans was carried out using agar well diffusion method. The study indicated that the extracts of the rhizomes of Ginger and the leaves of Polyalthia longifolia had a low activity at 25mg/ml against candida albicans.The extract of the leaves of Eucalyptus saligna was very active against candida albicans at 25mg/ml. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts ranged from 0.05mg/ml to 30mg/ml. The minimum fungicidal concentration ranged between 0.01mg/ml to 90mg/ml. The aqueous extracts of these plants offer potential antifungal property against candida albicans, with Eucalyptus saligna offering the highest antifungal activity. The study was necessary as it helps us to know how to use these plants in herbal medicine either singly, as in the case of Eucalyptus saligna, or in combination for synergism, as in the case of Ginger rhizomes and Polyalthia longifolia, depending on the severity of the disease, so as to increase the activity of the plant extracts