Antifungal activity of the senna alata ultrasonicated crude extracts

Senna Alata, a plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine, has shown promise in treating a variety of ailments ranging from typhoid to skin infections. With approximately 80% of the global population relying on plant-derived drugs for healthcare needs, there is growing interest in evaluating herbal products from a pharmacological perspective to discover new medicines. Fungal infections pose a significant public health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Current antifungal medications may have adverse effects on human health and the environment, necessitating exploration of alternative sources for antifungal drugs. S. alata contains secondary metabolites such as anthraquinones, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids, which have potential antifungal properties, this study aims to investigates the yield, antifungal activity, phytochemical composition, and functional groups of S. alata crude extracts obtained using different solvents (methanol, ethyl acetate, n-hexane and distilled water) and extraction methods (ultrasonic bath and decoction). The yield of crude extracts varied with the solvent used, with methanol showing the highest yield (24.48%) and n-hexane the lowest (3.62%). Antifungal analysis against Candida Albicans revealed no activity at a concentration of 500 mg/mL for all extracts. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified various compounds in each extract, with methanol extracts containing the largest number of phytocomponents with reported antifungal properties (Phenol, 2,4-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl), Benzene propanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy-, methyl ester, and Oleic Acid). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy highlighted functional groups consistent with known antifungal compounds in methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. Overall, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed potential for antifungal activity due to their phytochemical composition and functional groups, suggesting their suitability for further investigation as natural antifungal agents. However, the choice of solvent significantly influenced the yield, phytochemical composition, and potential antifungal activity of S. alata extracts, highlighting the importance of solvent selection in plant extraction processes.