Growth inhibitory effect of selected medicinal plants from Southern Ethiopia on the mycelial phase of Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum.
Authors: Girma Tagash, Chala Gemechu, Mekibib Berhanu
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
Epizootic lymphangitis, caused by the thermally dimorphic fungus *Histoplasma capsulatum* var. *farciminosum*, represents a significant welfare and economic concern for working equines in Ethiopia, yet treatment options remain limited by poor availability of conventional antifungals and the disease's chronic nature. Tagash and colleagues investigated whether leaf extracts from three locally-used medicinal plants—*Xanthium strumarium*, *Croton macrostachyus*, and *Centella asiatica*—could inhibit mycelial growth of the causative organism in vitro, building on traditional use of these species for skin conditions. The researchers collected and extracted plant material from southern Ethiopia to assess antifungal efficacy against the mycelial phase, which represents an important target stage in the fungal life cycle. Whilst the paper demonstrates proof-of-concept for plant-based inhibitory effects on *H. capsulatum* var. *farciminosum*, findings could inform development of accessible topical or systemic treatments for regions where synthetic antifungals are prohibitively expensive or unavailable. For equine practitioners in resource-limited settings, this work suggests potential value in further characterising and standardising these botanical extracts, though in vivo efficacy trials and safety profiling would be essential before clinical application.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Local medicinal plant extracts may offer a more accessible treatment option for epizootic lymphangitis in resource-limited settings where commercial antifungals are scarce
- •These findings support further investigation of traditional remedies used by local practitioners and warrant in vivo trials before clinical application
- •Results are preliminary in vitro work only; clinical efficacy, safety, dosing, and delivery methods require validation before recommending use in affected carthorses
Key Findings
- •Selected medicinal plant extracts (Xanthium strumarium, Kanda, Croton macrostachyus, and Centella asiatica) demonstrated growth inhibitory effects against the mycelial phase of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum in vitro
- •Traditional Southern Ethiopian medicinal plants show potential as alternative antifungal agents for epizootic lymphangitis management
- •Study addresses the gap created by limited availability of accessible antifungals for treating chronic epizootic lymphangitis in equines