Antifungal Potentials of Asian Plants: Ethnobotanical Insights and Phytochemical Investigations

Abstract

Ethnomedicinal plants in Asia offer a promising, low-side-effect alternative to synthetic drugs for treating fungal infections, one of the most widespread communicable diseases caused by pathogenic fungi. Despite being underexplored, the region's rich plant diversity holds the potential for developing effective antifungal drugs. Research is increasingly focused on bioactive compounds from these plants, which show strong antifungal properties and may serve as leads for new drug development. This comprehensive review included 257 articles which are peer-reviewed and written in english language with reported phytochemicals exerting antifungal potentials. In this review, we have discussed twenty-seven (27) Asian medicinal plants that contain sixty-seven (67) responsible phytochemicals deciphering promising antifungal action. This finding revealed that Asian plant diversity can be helpful in treating fungal invasion against several fungal species. Inhibition and reduction of mycelial growth and zoospore germination, fungistatic and fungicidal activities, and inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis are some common mechanisms reported in this review. Thus, this Asian plant diversity can provide a ray of hope as a modern therapeutic approach to bypass antimicrobial resistance issues noticed in recent days. Further research is still recommended to ascertain their exact mode of action, required dose, and safety and efficacy profile.

Keywords: Antifungal; Asian plant; Ethnopharmacology; Fungal infections; Phytochemical.