Abstract:
This research evaluated the effects of commercial antifungals and plant essential oils
on nosocomial fungi isolated from selected hospitals in Akure metropolis. Samples were
collected from fomites in the hospital environment. Fungi were isolated and identified using
cultural and microscopy methods. A total of three hundred and three (303) samples were
collected, 447 fungal isolates were obtained, 241 (54%) and 206 (46%) from the University
of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) Akure and FUTA Health Centre
respectively. A total of eleven (11) fungal genera with many species were isolated.
Fusarium oxysporum and Candida krusei had the highest occurrence rate from UNIMEDTH
and FUTA Health Centre with (14.11 %) and (16.82 %) respectively. The results of the
antifungal sensitivity test revealed significant differences (p≤0.05) in the sensitivity patterns.
Ketoconazole was identified to be the most potent in this study, showing the highest zone of
inhibition (25.03 mm) in Aspergillus flavus. The effectiveness of the commercial antifungal
agent is in increasing order from Griseofulvin < Clotrimazole < Fluconazole <
Ketoconazole. The higher the concentration of the antifungal agents, the higher the zones of
inhibition. Most of the fungal isolates were resistant to only Griseofulvin, except for
Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Aspergillus fumigatus, Alternaria alternata which
were all resistant to Griseofulvin and Clotrimazole. All the four (4) isolates screened using
disc diffusion method with the essential oils from Khaya senegalensis and Tithonia
diversifolia were sensitive. Khaya senegalensis showed higher zones of inhibition against
the tested isolates at different concentrations. The essential oil of Khaya senegalensis
showed the lowest MIC value of 4 mg/ml and MFC value of 3 mg/ml against Alternaria
alternata which shows the highest activity of all the other fungal isolates. The Fourier
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Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the peaks revealed the functional groups of the
fractions responsible for antifungal activity. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
analysis of the biologically active compounds in the essential oils of K. senegalensis
and T. diversifolia also showed the presence of caryophyllene oxide, isocaryophyllene, α-
Pinene and Borneol. Thus, the plant essential oils performed better than the standard
antifungal agents used in this study.
