<![CDATA[Infections caused by Candida albicans remain a public health concern, highlighting the need to explore alternative antifungal agents, including those derived from medicinal plants. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract of Smilax rotundifolia leaves against Candida albicans. An experimental laboratory study was conducted in vitro using the disc diffusion method. The leaves were extracted by maceration using 95% ethanol. Antifungal activity was evaluated at extract concentrations of 10%, 15%, and 20%, with three replicates for each treatment. Ketoconazole and sterile water for injection were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Extraction of 300 g of dried leaf powder yielded 34 g of concentrated extract, corresponding to an extraction yield of 11.33%. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. The antifungal assay demonstrated that none of the tested extract concentrations produced an inhibition zone against Candida albicans (0 mm). In contrast, the positive control produced inhibition zones of 11.00, 10.65, and 10.90 mm, with a mean diameter of 10.85 mm, while the negative control showed no inhibition. In conclusion, the ethanolic extract of Smilax rotundifolia leaves at concentrations of 10–20% exhibited no detectable inhibitory activity against Candida albicans under the disc diffusion assay conditions.]]>
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