Ethnobotanical survey and antifungal activity of selected medicinal plants used to treat vaginal infections in the Dschang district, West Cameroon

Background and objectives

Vulvovaginal candidiasis, an infection caused by an abnormal proliferation of Candida species in the vagina and vulva, is particularly relevant, affecting up to 75% of women of reproductive age. Because of antifungal drug resistance, a significant number of plants are used to treat vaginal candidoses in Cameroon. Thus, the scientific validation of the use of these plants in treating candidiasis is valuable. This study sought to identify medicinal plants used to treat vaginal infections in the Dschang district and evaluate the antifungal activity of the most promising plants on five Candida species.

Methods

The ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Dschang (Menoua Division, West Cameroon) through individual interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Extracts from seventeen plants were obtained by maceration using water or a water–ethanol solution (3:7; v/v). Antifungal activity was evaluated using the microdilution method.

Results

Forty-eight plants belonging to 33 families were identified as treating vaginal infections. Decoction and formulation of ovules were the prevalent modes of plant preparation, with leaves and bark being the predominant plant organs used. Out of thirty-four extracts tested, two (CSEHAlc and MIEHAlc) showed antifungal activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 0.315 to 2.5 mg/mL. The determination of the minimum fungicidal concentrations revealed the fungicidal orientation of these bioactive extracts.

Conclusions

In this study, the medicinal plants used traditionally to treat vaginal infections in the Dschang district were identified and documented through an ethnobotanical survey. Decoction and ovule formulation were the most commonly used modes of plant preparation, with leaves and bark being the most commonly used plant organs. Among the water and hydroethanol extracts obtained from the most cited plants (17 plants), two extracts (CSEHAlc and MIEHAlc) from M. indica and C. schweinfurthii showed promising antifungal activity against selected Candida species, with low MIC values. Determination of the MFCs confirmed the fungicidal effect of these extracts. This novel contribution demonstrates the ethnobotanical use of plants in treating vaginal infections and validates their traditional use through in vitro antifungal assays. Nonetheless, more research is needed to authenticate the majority of the recorded plants at the National Herbarium of Cameroon and to evaluate the antifungal activity of the other documented plants. In vitro toxicity studies of M. indica and C. schweinfurthii extracts, as well as investigation of their antifungal modes of action, are warranted for the successful utilization of these plants in antifungal drug discovery.

Full text

https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2572-5505/JERP-2025-00047

The study was recently published in the Journal of Exploratory Research in Pharmacology.

Journal of Exploratory Research in Pharmacology (JERP) publishes original innovative exploratory research articles, state-of-the-art reviews, editorials, short communications that focus on novel findings and the most recent advances in basic and clinical pharmacology, covering topics from drug research, drug development, clinical trials and application.

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