Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Thymus pulegioides on Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte species

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2006

Authors

Eugenia Pinto (Author) FFUP; Cidalia Pina Vaz (Author) FMUP; Ligia Salgueiro (Author) Other; Maria Jose Goncalves (Author) Other; Sofia Costa de Oliveira (Author) FMUP; Carlos Cavaleiro (Author) Other; Ana Palmeira (Author) Other; Acacio Rodrigues (Author) FMUP; Jose Martinez de Oliveira (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Medical Microbiology

Vol. 55 No. 10

Pages: 1367-1373

ISSN: 0022-2615

Publisher: Microbiology Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 235 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 288 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

CORDIS: Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-GWW

DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.46443-0

Resumo (PT): The composition of the essential oil of Thymus pulegioides and its antifungal activity on Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte fungal strains were studied. Essential oil from the aerial parts of the plant was obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC and GC-MS. The oil showed high contents of carvacrol and thymol. The MIC and minimal lethal concentration were used to evaluate the antifungal activity against Candida (seven clinical isolates and four ATCC type strains), Aspergillus [five clinical isolates, and two Colección Española de Cultivos Tipo (CECT) and two ATCC type strains] and five clinical dermatophyte strains. Antifungal activity was evaluated for the essential oil and for its main components. To clarify its mechanism of action on yeasts and filamentous fungi, flow-cytometric studies of cytoplasmic membrane integrity were performed, and the effect on the amount of ergosterol was investigated. Results showed that T. pulegioides essential oil exhibited a significant activity against clinically relevant fungi, mainly due to lesion formation in the cytoplasmic membrane and a considerable reduction of the ergosterol content. The present study indicates that T. pulegioides essential oil has considerable antifungal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications. <br> <br> <a target="_blank" href="http://jmm.sgmjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/10/1367"> Texto integral </a> <br> <br>

Abstract (EN): The composition of the essential oil of Thymus pulegioides and its antifungal activity on Candida, Aspergiflus and dermatophyte fungal strains were studied. Essential oil from the aerial parts of the plant was obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC and GC-MS. The oil showed high contents of carvacrol and thymol. The MIC and minimal lethal concentration were used to evaluate the antifungal activity against Candida (seven clinical isolates and four ATCC type strains), Aspergillus [five clinical isolates, and two Coleccion Espanola de Cultivos Tipo (CECT) and two ATCC type strains] and five clinical dermatophyte strains. Antifungal activity was evaluated for the essential oil and for its main components. To clarify its mechanism of action on yeasts and filamentous fungi, flow-cytometric studies of cytoplasmic membrane integrity were performed, and the effect on the amount of ergosterol was investigated. Results showed that T pulegioides essential oil exhibited a significant activity against clinically relevant fungi, mainly due to lesion formation in the cytoplasmic membrane and a considerable reduction of the ergosterol content. The present study indicates that T pulegioides essential oil has considerable antifungal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7