Comparative antifungal and toxicological effects of the extract of mistletoes growing on two different host plants in Akure North, Nigeria

Antifungal property of methanolic-extract (60%) of mistletoe (Viscum album) leaves was screened on Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporium, Penicillium oxalium and Microsporum canis. The combined extract doses from the two host plants showed a better antifungal efficacy [Cocoa + Cola (1:3)] when compared with the standard antifungal agent used than the extract doses from individual host plant. The results of acute oral toxicity recorded the LD50 as 5.754 ± 452 mg kg −1 (oral dose) as it was interpolated from the probit vs. log-dose curve. The toxicological assay was carried out on albino rats orogastrically fed with the V. album extract for 14 days using paracetamol (2 mg/kg body weight) as positive control. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) activities of rat liver and serum were investigated and compared with the control, the activities of these liver enzyme biomarkers showed no significant difference (P < 0.05) for V. album growing on cocoa (1000 to 5000 mg/kg) but there was a corresponding significant increase in the serum enzymes (P < 0.05) for V. album growing on cola at 4000 and 5000 mg/kg doses. The results indicated that the methanolic extract of V. album leaves growing on cola (≥ 4000 mg/kg) has brought about induction of synthesis of the liver enzymes studied which is an important biochemical symptom of cytolysis.