In Vitro Anti-Candidial Activity of Some Iranian Medicinal Plants Against Candida Species

Background: Candida albicans is an organism most often associated with serious fungal infection, which has recently shown an increased resistance to commercial antifungal agents. As a result, using medicinal plants as an alternative method to address health problems has received a particular attention in developing countries. Objective: This study aimed to examine the anti-Candidial potential of the extracts from Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZMB), Stachys acerosa Boiss (SAB), Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl (PFL), Tanacetum parthenium L. (TAPL), Teucrium polium L. (TEPL), and Cinnamomum zeylanicum L. (CZL) against three strains of Candida, including C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis. Materials and Methods: To this end, several tests were performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) against Candida species, using the agar well diffusion method (AWDM). Results: According to our study results, the hydroethanolic extracts of six medicinal plants exhibited anti-Candidial activities. The extracts of ZMB, SAB, and CZL demonstrated strong anti-Candidial activities, while the hydroethanolic extracts of PFL, TAPL, and TEPL revealed moderate anti-Candidial activities at any of the tested concentrations. The highest inhibitory activity (ZOI: 38 mm) was recorded for the effect of CZL on C. albicans with MIC=1.56 mg/mL, and the lowest anti-Candidial one (ZOI: 8 mm) was documented for the effect of T. parthenium on C. albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)=50 mg/mL. Conclusion: The ascending sequence of fungicidal growth inhibition zones was as follows: C. zeylanicum>Z. multiflora>S. acerosa>T. polium>T. parthenium and P. ferulacea.