A diploid fungus, Candida albicans, is a form of yeast that is a casual agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans and is traditionally treated using herbs. Amongst the indigenous herbs used for the purpose in Kisii region, southwest Kenya are: Carissa spinarum, Urtica dioica, Warburgia ugandensis, Senna didymobotrya, Physalis Peruviana, Bidens pilosa, Leonotis nepetifolia and Toddalia sciatica. A study was carried out on these herbal plants in the year 2011and 2012. The

more »

... ive was to determine the antifungal activity of these herbs that are also used for the treatment of diabetes, malaria and pneumonia. In the study, leaf samples of these plants were obtained from Kisii region, washed, air-dried and milled. The samples were extracted with four solvents namely hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol. Portions of the crude extracts were screened against Candida albicans, by the well diffusion method. Results showed that the standard antibiotics namely chloramphenicol, minocycline, erythromycin and cotrimoazol had diameters of the inhibition zones measuring (mm), 33, 32, 31 and 25, respectively which indicated inhibition of microbial growth. However, the extracts of hexane and solvents had no antifungal activity against the Candida albicans as they had diameters of the inhibition zones of 12 mm. The dichloromethane extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia and Bidens pilosa showed antifungal activity of diameters of the inhibition zones measuring 19 mm and 16 mm respectively. The ethyl acetate extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia, Bidens Pilosa, Senna didymobotrya, Toddalia asiatica and Physalis Peruviana recorded antifungal activity with diameters of the inhibition zones measuring (mm) 24, 18, 18, 17 and 15 respectively. The ethanol extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia and Physalis Peruviana displayed antifungal activity with diameters of the inhibition zones 27 mm and 19 mm, respectively. The dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia recorded maximum antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The findings suggest that the herbal extracts of Leonotis nepetifolia, Bidens Pilosa, Senna didymobotrya, Toddalia asiatica and Physalis Peruviana have a potential to control Candida albicans as they have diameter zone of inhibition above 12 mm.