Comparison of the antifungal effects of isolates Batis maritima extracts against animal pathogens

Batis maritima is a halophytic shrub, one which has historically been used in the making of traditional medicine to treat ailments of microbial origins. Both of these facts suggest that the plant possesses compounds with antimicrobial properties, which may prove helpful against diseases of microbial origins. In the current research, the isolates of the alcoholic extracts of the leaves of B. maritima were compared to determine their efficacy as antifungal agents against two animal pathogenic fungi viz., Aspergillus flavus and a Malassezia sp. Normal phase gradient column chromatography was utilised to isolate the components of the alcoholic extracts. These were then prepared in 1% solutions and tested for their antifungal properties. The Well-Diffusion method was employed in the antifungal assay. The separation of the extracts yielded 6 components, of which 4 were tested, labelled C1, C2, C3 and C0. Of these, C1, the least polar isolate, was seen to be effective against the two fungi, displaying partial inhibition against both. Partial inhibition was observed in C2 and C0 against the Malassezia sp. only. However, no inhibition was noted from C3 against any of the fungi, showing no activity against either. From the results of the study it may be seen that certain isolates of B. maritima display antifungal activity against the pathogens tested, especially the Malassezia sp. Thus, it is recommended that further research be carried out on these isolates, particularly C1, and the possibility of their incorporation into treatments against the fungi and their associated ailments.