Treatment of dermatophytosis by a new antifungal agent 'apigenin'

Dermatophytes are the most common causative agents of cutaneous mycosis and remain a major public health problem in spite of the availability of an increasing number of antifungal drugs. It was, therefore considered necessary to pursue the screening of different extracts (compounds) of selected traditional medicinal plants reportedly having antidermatophyte potential. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify specific compound from the most active extract (free flavonoid) of stem of Terminalia chebula of the selected plants to treat dermatophytosis induced on experimental mice. Mice which were experimentally induced with Trichophyton mentagrophytes were grouped in six of five animals each. To treat the lesions on infected mice, two concentrations of isolated apigenin ointment, i.e. 2.5 mg g(-1) (Api I) and 5 mg g(-1) (Api II), and terbinafine (standard) of concentration 5 mg g(-1) were used. Complete recovery from the infection was recorded on 12th day of treatment for reference drug Terbinafine and Api II (5 mg g(-1)) concentration of ointment, whereas Api I (2.5 mg g(-1)) ointment showed complete cure on 16th day of treatment. Fungal burden was also calculated by culturing skin scraping from infected mice's of different groups. Apigenin has shown potency as the infected animals recover completely by Api II comparable to the standard drug in 12th day. So Apigenin can be explored as an antifungal agent in the clinical treatment of dermatophytosis in future.