Antifungal activity of Mart. ethanol extracts against the aetiological agents of cryptococcosis.

Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic disease with a worldwide distribution. This disease is caused by fungi of the genus , and its treatment is limited to several antifungals. In this study, the antifungal, cytotoxic and mutagenic properties of ethanol extracts from the bark and leaves of were evaluated against the standard species and clinical yeast specimens. Both extracts of showed inhibitory activity of 1.5 mg/mL for all of the yeasts tested. The number of viable cells at the lowest tested concentration was 0.187 mg/mL. The extracts that were tested showed inhibitory activity and reduced the fungal growth of the species and species complexes, suggesting that this plant may be an effective alternative treatment for cryptococcosis.