Vol. 2, Issue 5 (2013)

Context: Betula and Urtica are widely used traditional medicinal plants to treat dandruff. The present article provide scientific basis for the use of these plants in traditional medicine. Aqueous and organic extracts of plants under study were evaluated for anti-dandruff activity and their comparative efficacy with synthetic drug.

Aim: Aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative efficacy of various extracts of selected plants responsible for anti-dandruff activity.

Methods and Materials: Antidandruff activity of successive fractions of crude methanolic extract of B. cylindrostachys Lindl and U. dioica Linn with pet ether (60- 80 °C), chloroform, ethyl acetate and n- butanol and total aqueous extract were studied using agar diffusion assay using Malassezia furfur (MTCC 1374) strain.

Results: B. cylindrostachys chloroform fraction is having good antidandruff activity against Malassezia furfur compared to pet ether, ethyl acetate, n- butanol and total aqueous extract. U. dioica total aqueous fraction is most active fraction against Malassezia furfur compared to organic extracts. Betula chloroform fraction is having comparatively more activity as compared to Urtica total aqueous fraction.

Conclusion: The result shows that the chloroform and aqueous fraction of B. cylindrostachys and U. dioica respectively has good antidandruff activity compared to other reported extracts and can be used as potential antidandruff substances.