ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants have long been used for centuries as healthcare products. Traditional medicine of many communities of the world, however, may have originated from the age-long link with nature and natural products,
of which plants and plant materials form a greater part [7]. A number of people rely on herbs for the treatment of various diseases ranging from common cold to other infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, which are endemic in the communities [5]. of particular concern in this study is community-based fungal infections. Among these infections, dermatomycoses commonly called ringworm and candidiasis are the most common mycoses in the rural communities. These infections are widespread and are difficult to control most of the times with commonly available antibiotics, thereby necessitating the need for alternative treatments [9]. Desmodium adscendens (a member of the family Fabaceae) is a perennial leguminous plant growing in the form of a multibranched shrub up to 50 cm in height in the equatorial and circumequatorial zones of Central and South America and Africa [3]. It grows in small areas of the Andes at elevations of 1000 to 3000 m above sea level and produces numerous light purple flowers and green fruits in small, bean-like pods. It is indigenous to many tropical countries and grows in open forests, pastures along roadsides, and, like many weeds, just about anywhere the soil is disturbed. Today, many tribes in many parts of the world use D. adscendens as a medicine for various purposes. A tea of the plant is given for treating nervousness, and it is used in baths to treat vaginal infections [8], promote lactation in women, and treat wounds, sores, malaria, diarrhea, and ovarian and uterine problems [10]. Most of the antimicrobial studies carried out on this plant have focused on leaves and were mostly against bacterial pathogens.
