Ethnobotanical Survey Of Anti-Mycotic Plants Indigenous To Tamil Nadu

Fungal infections pose a significant global health threat, driven by increasing drug resistance, limited efficacy,and adverse effects of conventional antifungal therapies. Medicinal plants provide a promising alternative dueto their bioactive phytochemicals and broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Plants such as Acalypha indica,Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Lawsonia inermis, Citrus limon, etc., exhibit potentantifungal effects against pathogens fungal species like Candida albicans,Trichophyton rubrum, Aspergillusniger. etc. Key phytoconstituents, including allicin, curcumin, lupeol, flavonoids, and alkaloids, target fungalcell walls, membranes, and enzymatic pathways. These compounds also show synergistic potential withantimycotic drugs, offering enhanced efficacy while mitigating resistance. The minimal toxicity, reduced sideeffects, and eco-friendly nature of these plant-based agents underscore their therapeutic potential. In thisreview we are going to discuss about a few indigenous plants of Tamil Nadu that have potent antifungalproperties which can be used for further analysis for alternatives to antifungal drugs that have high toxicity,low efficacy and resistance to the current medications. Future studies should prioritize thecharacterizationand isolation of active compounds to understand their specific antifungal mechanisms andidentify synergistic combinations. ASSS