Étude de l'activité antifongique de divers extraits de cannelle

Abstract

Objective. – This study was undertaken to determine the antifungal activity of cinnamon bark. Material and methods. – Extract from cinnamon with water, hexan, methanol and ethanol were tested on fungi using the method of microtitration assay. Cinnamon was extracted with water, hexan, methanol and ethanol five times and the extracts of each solvent were tested separately for their antimicrobial activity. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. The extracts were tested on fungal strains using three different techniques; the agar dilution test for the determination of the active extracts, a microtitration method to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts on growth of yeasts and finally a macrodilution test allowing the evaluation of the extracts on the mycelial mass production by the fungal strains. Results. – The results showed that all the extracts displayed antifungal activity on yeasts. In addition, the determination of the MIC of the active extracts revealed different levels of action. However, the MIC was not influenced by the number of extractions and the fifth extract was as inhibiting as the first one. Finaly, statistical analysis revealed that the hexanic extract was the most active with the MIC varying from 2% (v/v) to 6.2% (v/v), followed by the methanol and water extracts whose the MIC ranged from 2.5% (v/v) to 12.5% (v/v), and the ethanolic extract whose MIC ranged from 5% (v/v) to 12.5% (v/v). Preliminary tests showed that almost all the extracts displayed antifungal activity on moulds. Evaluation of the effects of mycelial production showed that the hexanic extract had the best antifungal effect with a concentration of 10%, and that all 5 extracts were able to totally inhibit the growth of all the species tested. These observations were confirmed by a statistical analysis of variance which revealed that Penicillium cyclopium was the most sensitive mould followed by Aspergillus parasiticus, A. niger and finally A. flavus. Conclusion. – Among the different extracts of cinnamon studied, hexanic extracts were shown to be the most active on the yeasts and moulds tested.