Study on the antioxidant activity and in vitro antifungal activity of Verbascum speciosum methanolic extract

The present study was conducted to determine the antioxidant and antifungal effects ofmethanol extract from aerial part of Verbascum speciosum. The total phenolic andflavonoid content and the antioxidant activity of the plant extract were determined byusing the Folin-Ciocalteau and the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicalscavenging assays. The total phenols and flavonoid content of leaves were determined as82±6.43 mg GAE/g extract and 30.79±0.5 mg RE/g extract, respectively. The extractexhibited significant radical scavenging activity with IC50 value of 32.35μg/ml. Themethanolic extract was investigated for its antifungal activity against some fungalreference strains which include: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candidaparapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candida dubliniensis, A. flavus, A.niger, Penicillium andAlternaria. For minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determination, a brothmicrodilution method according to CLSI M27-A and M38-A for yeasts and filamentousspecies was performed. The results showed that the highest in vitro antifungal activitieswere against C. parapsilosis and Alternaria. However, there were no significantdifferences between different fungal species. These results indicate a high potential ofantifungal properties of this methanolic extract. Therefore, it can be suggested to be aneffective replacement treatment for fungal infections or for the preservation of foodsagainst pathogenic and toxigenic microorganisms.