LAUSR

INTRODUCTION Dermatophytes are a group of fungi that can invade the keratinized tissues of humans and other animals, thereby causing dermatophytosis. The high cost of treatment, side effects of drugs, and sometimes resistance of pathogens to synthetic drugs are some of the factors that have led to search attempts for new drugs. This study aimed to investigate the anti-dermatophytic effects of ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Romex acetosella, Teucrium polium, and Glycyrrhiza glabra against dermatophytes of Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes and to determine the amount of phenol in these plants. METHODS In this descriptive comparative study, after collecting and identifying Rumex acetosella, Teucrium polium, and Glycyrrhiza glabra, they were washed and dried in the shade. Then, methanolic and ethanolic extracts of these plants were prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus. The antifungal activity of these extracts was investigated in vitro against Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes through diffusion and agar dilution method according to CLSI instructions. Further, the minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] and the minimum fungicidal concentration [MFC] of the extracts were determined in comparison with griseofulvin. In addition, the amount of phenol in these extracts was determined by an optical spectrophotometer. RESULTS Methanolic and ethanolic extracts of Tocrium polium, Rumex acetosella, and Glabra glycyrrhizae revealed that the highest inhibition zones of Trichophyton mentagrophytes PTCC 5054, Microsporum canis PTCC 5069, and Microsporum gypseum PTCC 5070 were related to the methanolic extract of Teucrium polium at 200 mg/ml at 23.41, 23.45, and 25.30 mm, respectively. The highest growth rates of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum at 2.5 mg/ml in Glabra glycyrrhizae ethanolic extract by agar dilution method were 19.07, 18.32, and 17.81 mm, respectively. The minimum growths of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum were observed in the plate containing 40 mg/ml of the methanolic extract of Teucrium polium with 5.62, 3.72, and 5.41 mm diameters, respectively. Their MIC was less than 6.25 mg/ml. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Teucrium polium had 227.33 and 482.89 μg of tannic acid/ml of the extract, respectively. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Rumex acetosella had 94 and 475.48 μg of tannic acid/ml of the extract, respectively. Finally, the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Glabra glycerol had 27.33 and 60.67 μg of tannic acid/ml of the extract, respectively. CONCLUSION Based on the results, methanolic extracts of the studied plants had a greater inhibitory effect than ethanolic extracts. Methanolic extracts of these plants after extensive testing for toxicity and in vivo studies can be a suitable treatment option as adjunctive drugs or alternatives to chemical drugs.