CABBAGELEAF EXTRACT(BRASSICA OLERACEA VAR. CAPITATA ALBA) AS A HERBAL MEDICINE FOR LEUCORRHEA
Objective:This study was aimed to examine antifungal activity of cabbage leaf extracts against Candida albicans, determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), analyzed the comparative value of the extracts with ketoconazole and studied the fastest contact time to eliminate Candida albicans. Methods: The extraction of fresh cabbage leaf was done using the maceration method. The antifungal activity test and its comparative analysis against ketokonazole were assessed using the agar diffusion method. The extracts were tested for determining minimum inhibitory concentration value (MIC) using solid medium. While the fastest contact time test was performed using turbidimetric method.Results: Based on its inhibitory diameter, cabbage leaf extracts gave potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The MIC concentrations of testing extracts were various ranged from 1.50 to 1.75%w/v. In a comparative analysis of the extracts with ketoconazole, showed that ketoconazole gave greater antifungal activity than the extract at the same concentration. Cabbage leaf extract with concentration 2.5% gave the fastest contact time (2.5 minutes) for eliminating Candida albicans, while Cabbage leaf extract with concentration 0.4% gave the longest contact time (15 minutes) for eliminating Candida albicans.Conclusion:Cabbage leaf extract has a potential antifungal activity against Candida albicans, and prospective to be developed as a topical herbal medicine for treating candidiasis.