This study investigates the protective effects of ethyl acetate root extract of Terminalia glaucescens on Drosophila melanogaster against virulent Aspergillus species. Aspergillus species are opportunistic fungal pathogens that can cause severe infections in both humans and animals. Terminalia glaucescens is a medicinal plant known for its antimicrobial properties. The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential of ethyl acetate root extract of Terminalia glaucescens in protecting Drosophila melanogaster against virulent Aspergillus species. The ethyl acetate extract is prepared, and its antifungal activity is determined through agar diffusion assays. Subsequently, Drosophila melanogaster is exposed to Aspergillus species in the presence or absence of the ethyl acetate extract, and their survival rates and physiological parameters are assessed. The results demonstrate that the ethyl acetate root extract of Terminalia glaucescens exhibits significant antifungal activity against virulent Aspergillus species. Furthermore, the extract enhances the survival of Drosophila melanogaster when exposed to Aspergillus species, suggesting its protective effects against fungal infections.

Ethyl acetate extract, Drosophila melanogaster, Aspergillus species

Lewis, R.E., R.A. Prince, J. Chi and D.P. Kontoyiannis, 2002. Itraconazole preexposure attenuates the efficacy of subsequent amphotericin B therapy in a murine model of acute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Antimicrobial Agents Chemother., 46: 3208-3214.

Abd El-Baky, R.M., 2016. The future challenges facing antimicrobial therapy: Resistance and persistence. Am. J. Microbiol. Res., 4: 1-15.

Cos, P., A.J. Vlietinck, D.V. Berghe and L. Maes, 2006. Anti- infective potential of natural products: How to develop a stronger in vitro proof-of-concept. J. Ethnopharmacol., 19: 290-302.

Mylonakis, E., A. Casadevall and F.M. Ausubel, 2007. Exploiting amoeboid and non-vertebrate animal model systems to study the virulence of human pathogenic fungi. PLoS Pathog., Vol. 3, No. 7. 10.1371/journal.ppat.0030101.

Lionakis, M.S. and D.P. Kontoyiannis, 2010. The growing promise of Toll-deficient Drosophila melanogaster as a model for studying Aspergillus pathogenesis and treatment. Virulence, 1: 488-499.

Lionakis, M.S., R.E. Lewis, G. Chamilos and D.P. Kontoyiannis, 2005. Aspergillus susceptibility testing in patients with cancer and invasive aspergillosis: Difficulties in establishing correlation between in vitro susceptibility data and the outcome of initial amphotericin B therapy. Pharmacotherapy: J. Hum. Pharmacol. Drug Ther., 25: 1174-1180.

Hamilos, G., G. Samonis and D.P. Kontoyiannis, 2012. Recent advances in the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study immunopathogenesis of medically important filamentous fungi. Int. J. Microbiol., Vol. 2012. 10.1155/2012/583792.

Eloff, J.N., D.R. Katerere and L.J. McGaw, 2008. The biological activity and chemistry of the Southern African Combretaceae. J. Ethnopharmacol., 119: 686-699.

Evans, W.C., 2002. Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy. 15th Edn., W.B. Saunders Ltd., London, UK., pp: 191-393.