Antidermatophytic properties of formulated ointments containing Azadirachta indica A. Juss seed oil extract

Plant derived medicines have over the years made massive contributions to the well-being of humans. Azadirachta indica (A.indica) is traditionally being exploited in the treatment of diseases such as eczema, ringworm, sore throat, respiratory tract infection and scabies. The seed oil is used in unspecified quantities without evaluation and standardization. In this study, the in-situ efficacy of A. indica seed oil ointment formulations as an antifungal agent, was evaluated. Varying concentrations of the oil extract and fractions were incorporated into emulsifying ointment base BP by trituration method (1. Collett and Aulton, 1990). Their activities were compared with those of standard terbinafine and Whitfield formulated ointments using agar diffusion technique and challenge test. The results of agar diffusion studies revealed that the formulated ointments containing at least 60% of the oil or its fractions exerted inhibitory activities against the test dermatophytes with highest inhibitory activities at 80%w/w. Graphs of survival of test organisms in ointment formulations of A. indica oil revealed a remarkable decrease in the log of surviving cells of dermatophytes with increase in contact time from 6 to 4 log of surviving cells/G. Antifungal ointment containing Azadirachta indica oil extract which were effective against dermatophytes used in this study were successfully formulated using emulsifying ointment base BP and can be deployed as an antidermatophytic agent.Key words: Azadirachta indica, Antifungal, Ointment