Sains Malaysiana 42(11)(2013): 1585–1590

Electron Microscopy Studies of the Effects of Garlic Extract Against Trichophyton rubrum

(Kajian Mikroskopi Elektron ke Atas Kesan Ekstrak Bawang Putih ke Atas Trichophyton rubrum)

FARZAD AALA, UMI KALSOM YUSUF & ROSIMAH NULIT*

Department of Biology, Faculty Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor

Malaysia

Received: 18 July 2012/Accepted: 8 June 2013

ABSTRACT

Trichophyton rubrum is one of dermatophytes that penetrates keratinized tissues such as skin, hair and nail of human and animals. Recently, antifungal drugs such as imodazole and triazole was found to cause side effects, toxicity to patients and also not very efficient due to resistance to these drugs. As an alternative, some plants extract had been used to treat dermatophytes. This studies was done using Garlic extract (Allium sativum) to evaluate its effects on the growth of hypha of Trichophyton using Electron miscroscopy. Garlic had been known to posses antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antithrombotic and antitumor activities. This studies found that garlic extract as low as 4 mg/mL inhibit the growth of hypha. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that hypha treated with garlic extract showed shrinkage, flat and cell wall demolition, similar to hypha treated with allicin (positive control) having rough surface, shrinkage and distortion. The tip of hypa became large after treatment with garlic extract. Transmission electron microscopy studies also found that hypha treated with allicin display cell wall thickening, local thickening, destruction of cytoplasmic content, mean while hypha treated with garlic extract exhibited cell wall thickening, disordered hyphal tip and desolution of cytoplasmic compartments and similar with hypha treated with allicin. These results showed that garlic extract and pure allicin could be use as an alternative to treat dermatophytes.

Keywords: Allicin; garlic extract (Allium sativum); hypha; Trichophyton rubrum

ABSTRAK

Trichophyton rubrum merupakan satu daripada dermatofit yang menyerang tisu berkeratin seperti kulit, rambut dan kuku manusia dan haiwan. Mutakhir kini, ubat-ubatan antikulat seperti imodazole dan triazole didapati menyebabkan kesan sampingan, beracun kepada pesakit dan penggunaan tidak berkesan disebabkan ketahanan kepada ubat-ubatan ini. Sebagai salah satu alternatif, beberapa ekstrak tumbuhan telah digunakan untuk merawat dermatofit. Kajian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan ekstrak bawang putih (Allium sativum) untuk mengkaji kesannya ke atas pertumbuhan hifa Trichophyton menggunakan mikroskop elektron. Bawang putih telah dikenal pasti sebagai antimikrob, antiradang, antitrombotik dan antikanser. Hasil kajian mendapati ekstrak bawang putih dengan kepekatan paling rendah iaitu 4 mg/mL berupaya merencat pertumbuhan hifa. Kajian imbasan mikroskop elektron menunjukkan ekstrak bawang putih menyebabkan pengecutan dan pemipihan hifa, dinding selnya musnah dan hujung hifa menjadi besar. Hasil yang sama juga ditunjukkan oleh hifa yang dirawat dengan alisin (sebagai kawalan positif). Kajian pancaran mikroskop elektron pula mendapati hifa yang dirawat dengan alisin dan ekstrak bawang putih menunjukkan keputusan yang hampir sama dengan berlakunya penebalan dinding sel hifa, penebalan dalaman, penguraian kandungan sitoplasma dan pemusnahan kompartmen sitoplasma. Hasil penemuan kajian ini membuktikan ekstrak bawang putih dan alisin boleh diguna sebagai alternatif untuk merawat dermatofit.

Kata kunci: Alisin; ekstrak bawang putih (Allium sativum); hifa; Trichophyton rubrum

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*Corresponding author; email: rosimahn@putra.upm.edu.my