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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Antifungal activity and mode of action of thymol and its synergism with nystatin against Candida species involved with infections in the oral cavity: an in vitro study

Authors: Ricardo Dias de Castro, Trícia Murielly Pereira Andrade de Souza, Louise Morais Dornelas Bezerra, Gabriela Lacet Silva Ferreira, Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa, Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Limitations of antifungal agents used in the treatment of oral candidiasis, as the development of resistant strains, are known by the scientific community. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of thymol against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei strains and to determine its mode of action and synergistic effect when combined with the synthetic antifungal nystatin.

Methods

The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using a microdilution technique, and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was determined via subculture sowing. The mode of action of thymol was established by verifying fungal growth in the presence of sorbitol or ergosterol. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FIC) was determined using the checkerboard method.

Results

Thymol presented an antifungal effect, with MICs of 39 μg/mL for C. albicans and C. krusei and 78 μg/mL for C. tropicalis. The results of the antifungal test remained unchanged in the presence of sorbitol; however, the MIC value of thymol against C. albicans increased eight times (from 39.0 to 312.5 μg/mL) in presence of exogenous ergosterol. The combination of thymol and nystatin reduced the MIC values of both products by 87.4 %, generating an FIC index of 0.25.

Conclusions

Thymol was found to have a fungicidal effect on Candida species and a synergistic effect when combined with nystatin.
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Metadata
Title
Antifungal activity and mode of action of thymol and its synergism with nystatin against Candida species involved with infections in the oral cavity: an in vitro study
Authors
Ricardo Dias de Castro
Trícia Murielly Pereira Andrade de Souza
Louise Morais Dornelas Bezerra
Gabriela Lacet Silva Ferreira
Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa
Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-015-0947-2

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