Evaluation of Anti-Candida albicans Activities of Herbal Preparations Sold at the Kumasi Central Market in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is predominantly the leading cause of candidiasis among women with urogenital candidiasis. Since most people in resource-limited countries depend on herbal medicine for their primary care needs, many herbal drugs are sold to manage various infectious diseases. This study, therefore, evaluated the anti-C. albicans activities of five selected herbal preparations indicated for treating candidiasis sold at the Kumasi Central Market in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The market was divided into five clusters, and one herbal preparation was randomly selected from each cluster. Using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility test, the herbal preparations were tested against clinically isolated C. albicans. Fluconazole, a standard antifungal drug, was included in the evaluation as a positive control. The experiments were performed on three different days and each in triplicates. Among the five selected herbal preparations, only one was effective against C. albicans with a mean inhibition zone of 19.1 mm. This effective herbal drug was prepared from Centella asiatica sap, Turnera microphylla leaves, and Vitex agnus-castus leaves. The results suggest that not all the herbal preparations selected were effective against C. albicans. Hence, we recommend that the authorities continually check the effectiveness of the herbal preparations on the market.