Summary
Despite the small-flowered willow herb’s corroborated curative traits, an array of synthetic agents has dislodged it for long from medicine. Albeit research works in the domain of phytochemistry and pharmacognosy that were conducted in the last two decades reconsidered the medicinal properties of Epilobium parviflorum. The most active are willow herb aqueous dry extracts which display antibacterial, antifungal, anti-tumour, immune-stimulating, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying activities. The willow herb extracts are applicable to therapy of dermatoses and systemic autoimmune diseases.
The aim of the study was to assess the antifungal in vitro activity of different concentrations of Epilobium parviflorum aqueous dry extract against Trichophyton mentagrophytes strains isolated from nail filings of patients attending the Dermatological Clinic within the Ludwik Rydygier Specialistic Hospital in Krakow, and one original strain ATCC 18748.The research material were nine Trichophyton mentagrophytes strains, including one original strain ATCC 18748 and eight strains isolated from the nail filings. Moreover, there was used the small-flowered willow herb aqueous dry extract which was diluted in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), given the concentrations: 200, 100, 50, 25 and 12.5 mg/ml. In order to assess the antifungal activity of the Epilobium parviflorum extract, in the five concentrations, the disc-diffusion method was employed. A measure of the antifungal activity of the small-flowered willow herb aqueous dry extract was its minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC).Diameters of growth inhibition zones in case of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes isolates, exposed to the action of five concentrations of the studied extract, contingently on the concentration amounted to 18-26 mm at the outmost (21.75 ± SD = 2.92 mm on the average), given the concentration 200 mg/ml, and 6-7 mm at the very least (6.25 ± SD = 0.46 mm on the average), given the concentration 12.5 mg/ml. The diameters of growth inhibition zone in case of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes demonstration strain ATCC 18748, exposed to the action of five concentrations of willow herb extract, maximally amounted to 22 mm, given the concentration 200 mg/ml, and minimally to 6 mm, given the concentration 12.5 mg/ml. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the Epilobium parviflorum extract for the eight investigated Trichophyton mentagrophytes isolates came to 9.25 mg/ml.The corroborated antifungal activity of the Epilobium parviflorum aqueous dry extract countenances admitting it to be a potent natural preparation which can be applicable to therapy of ringworm of the foot and scalp.