en Antifungal Activity of Dried Extracts of Anise (<i>Pimpinella anisum</i> L.) and Star anise (<i>Illicium verum</i> Hook. f.) Against Dermatophyte and Saprophyte Fungi فارماكوگنوزی و فارماسيوتيكس Pharmacognosy & Pharmaceutics پژوهشی Research <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> Medicinal plants synthesize a vast array of secondary metabolites that are important for human life. For medicinal purpose, antimicrobial activity of substances derived from plant extracts has been recognized for many years. <i>Pimpinella anisum</i> L. (<i>Apiaceae</i>) and <i>Illicium verum</i> Hook. f. (<i>Illiciaceae</i>) plant species, have been used for treatment of infectious diseases in Iranian traditional medicine.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective:</strong> In this study methanol extracts of <i>Pimpinella anisum</i> L. (<i>Apiaceae</i>) and <em>Illicium</em><i> verum</i> Hook. f. (<i>Illiciaceae</i>), were tested for their potential antifungal activities.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> Methanolic extracts were dried by freeze drying method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was was determined according to agar dilution method and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) was determined by incorporating various concentrations of extracts (2-256 mg/ml) in Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) in tubes against 4 dermatophyte and one saprophyte fungi.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> The extracts of anise seeds inhibited only dermatophyte species, while extracts of star anise fruits inhibited growth of all dermatophytes and saprophytes. MIC and MFC for each extracts were different and MFC was higher than MIC for all species.</p> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> As a result of this experiment, these plants can be candidate for further studies due to their antifungal potencies.</div> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> Medicinal plants synthesize a vast array of secondary metabolites that are important for human life. For medicinal purpose, antimicrobial activity of substances derived from plant extracts has been recognized for many years. <i>Pimpinella anisum</i> L. (<i>Apiaceae</i>) and <i>Illicium verum</i> Hook. f. (<i>Illiciaceae</i>) plant species, have been used for treatment of infectious diseases in Iranian traditional medicine.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective:</strong> In this study methanol extracts of <i>Pimpinella anisum</i> L. (<i>Apiaceae</i>) and <em>Illicium</em><i> verum</i> Hook. f. (<i>Illiciaceae</i>), were tested for their potential antifungal activities.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> Methanolic extracts were dried by freeze drying method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was was determined according to agar dilution method and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) was determined by incorporating various concentrations of extracts (2-256 mg/ml) in Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) in tubes against 4 dermatophyte and one saprophyte fungi.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> The extracts of anise seeds inhibited only dermatophyte species, while extracts of star anise fruits inhibited growth of all dermatophytes and saprophytes. MIC and MFC for each extracts were different and MFC was higher than MIC for all species.</p> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> As a result of this experiment, these plants can be candidate for further studies due to their antifungal potencies.</div> Antifungal, P. anisum, I. verum, Aspergillus niger, Dermatophyte, Saprophyte Antifungal, P. anisum, I. verum, Aspergillus niger, Dermatophyte, Saprophyte 24 29 http://jmp.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-490-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 D Yazdani D Yazdani Dayazdani@yahoo.com 100319475328460038512 100319475328460038512 Yes Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran Sh Rezazadeh Sh Rezazadeh 100319475328460038513 100319475328460038513 No Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran Gh Amin Gh Amin 100319475328460038514 100319475328460038514 No Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran MA Zainal Abidin MA Zainal Abidin 100319475328460038515 100319475328460038515 No Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia S Shahnazi S Shahnazi 100319475328460038516 100319475328460038516 No Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran Department of Pharmacognosy, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Tehran H Jamalifar H Jamalifar 100319475328460038517 100319475328460038517 No Department of Food & Drug Control, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran Department of Food & Drug Control, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran