In-vitro study of antifungal effects of selected herbal extracts on standard and wild strains of Candida albicans

The study aim was to evaluate antifungal effects of Artemisia absinthium, Eucalyptus spp, Allium cepa, Cinnamomum zelanicum, Curcuma longa, Salvia officinalis, Mentha Piperita, and Calendula officinalis mouthwashes. Standard species of Candida albicans by the PTCC number 5027 was prepared from Pathogenic and Industrial bacteria and fungi collection center of Iran. Ten wild species were also prepared from the palatal mucus or buccal mucus of patients submitted to one of the clinics in Kerman. Extracts from the plants were made using percolation method with hydro alcoholic solvent followed by evaporation of the organic solvent under vacuum and then drying in a 50 oC oven. Then 0.5 McFarland suspensions from all fungi species were prepared. These suspensions were used by both small well and tube methods. All the extracts had antifungal activity against Candida albicans. However, this property in the first four plant-extracts was more powerful than the others. According to the results of this study, the extracts of Curcuma longa, Eucalyptus spp, Artemisia absinthium, Cinnamomum zelanicum had considerable antifungal effects.