Antifungal Activity of Allium sativum (Garlic) and Zingiber officinale (Ginger) Extracts against Dermatophytes Isolated from Tinea Capitis in Children

Tinea capitis, or dermatophytosis, is a prevalent infection in school-age children worldwide, leading to school absenteeism and educational setbacks. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) have demonstrated antifungal properties. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of three extracts (aqueous, ethanolic 70%, and methanolic 70%) of Zingiber officinale and Allium sativum against dermatophytic fungi isolated from the hair scrapings of 60 elementary school students with clinical signs of Tinea capitis in Balanga LGA Gombe State, North-East Nigeria. The antifungal susceptibility was determined using the cup plate method and compared with griseofulvin at 1 mg/mL. The dermatophytes isolated included Trichophyton mentagrophytes (25%), Microsporum canis (20%), Microsporum gypseum (12%), Trichophyton rubrum (14%), Trichophyton verrucosum (10%), Trichophyton schoeleinii (8%), and Trichophyton tonsurans (8%). The efficacy of garlic and ginger varied among the dermatophyte species. Trichophyton rubrum showed the highest susceptibility to the methanolic garlic extract, followed by Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophyton schoeleinii, and Trichophyton tonsurans. For ginger, Trichophyton mentagrophytes was most susceptible, followed by Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton schoeleinii, Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton rubrum, and Microsporum canis. The methanolic garlic extract and the ethanolic ginger extract showed inhibition zones ranging from 12.93 to 25.87 mm and 12.0 to 24.9 mm, respectively. Aqueous extracts of both herbs exhibited the lowest inhibition zones. Trichophyton mentagrophytes were identified as the primary agent of Tinea capitis in the study area, caused by both anthropophilic and zoophilic dermatophytes. The study confirmed that ginger and garlic extracts significantly inhibited the growth of isolated dermatophytes, supporting their potential as sources of antifungal medications for managing dermatophytic diseases.