In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity, liver profile test, and mutagenic activity of five plants used in traditional Mexican medicine

Berberis hartwegii Benth., Berberidaceae, Hamelia patens Jacq., Rubiaceae, Dendropanax arboreus (L.) Decne& Planch., Araliaceae, Erythrina herbacea L., Fabaceae, and Zanthoxylum caribaeum Lam., Rutaceae, acetoneextracts were selected on the basis of their use in traditional Mexican medicine to treat scabies or skindiseases. Anti-dermatophyte activity in vitro was evaluated using the agar dilution assay, and the thera-peutic efficacy of B. hartwegii and Z. caribaeum were tested against experimental tinea pedis. The infectedanimals were treated intragastrically daily for seven days with 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of acetone extracts. Theacetone extract of H. patens exhibited 100% growth inhibition against T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosumat 100.0 and 50.0 μg/ml, respectively, and B. hartwegii inhibited growth of M. canis and T. mentagrophytesat 100.0 μg/ml. Effective treatments with 2.5 mg/kg of Z. caribaeum and B. hartwegii extract were com-parable with 1 mg/kg of clotrimazole in mice. Liver profile tests and histological analyses did not exhibitany signs of toxicity and the Ames test indicated that both extracts were safe when evaluated in strainsTA98, TA100 and TA102. Our results suggest the potential for the future development of new antifungaldrugs from B. hartwegii or Z. Caribaeum.