Antifungal activity of an ointment developed from Brixa Orellana leaves

Abstract

Latin America is known for its exceptional biodiversity, with approximately 30 million species offering significant potential for agriculture, plant domestication, and medicine. Despite this, only about 1% of these species have been explored for their pharmacological properties, revealing a substantial opportunity to discover new bioactive compounds and phytotherapeutic agents that could offer safer or more effective alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials. The Latin American flora shows great potential for preventing and complementing the treatment of dermatological diseases. This study evaluates the antifungal activity of an ointment formulated with leaves of Bixa orellana L. (achiote). Phytochemical analysis of aqueous and ethanolic extracts identified high concentrations of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, carbohydrates, and amino acids, with medium levels of alkaloids and quinones. Antifungal tests revealed that the optimal formulation of 75% ointment base and 25% achiote extract achieved an inhibition halo of 19 mm, compared to 30 mm with the commercial antifungal nystatin. Linear regression analysis indicated that the achiote extract significantly contributes to the antifungal effect. Physicochemical tests of the optimal ointment showed a pH of 5.98, extensibility of 3.7 cm, no irritability, density of 0.986 g/ml, 12.15% loss on drying, dark brown color, sweet odor, and smooth texture, indicating that the ointment is effective, pleasant to use, and possesses favorable application and stability characteristics.