Antifungal activity of the clove essential oil from Syzygium aromaticum on Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte species

The composition and antifungal activity of clove essential oil (EO), obtained from Syzygium aromaticum, were studied. Clove oil was obtained commercially and analysed by GC and GC-MS. The EO analysed showed a high content of eugenol (85.3 %). MICs, determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Sta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 58; no. Pt 11; p. 1454
Main Authors: Pinto, Eugénia, Vale-Silva, Luís, Cavaleiro, Carlos, Salgueiro, Lígia
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England 01.11.2009
Subjects:
Antifungal Agents - chemistry
Antifungal Agents - pharmacology
Arthrodermataceae - classification
Arthrodermataceae - drug effects
Aspergillosis - microbiology
Aspergillus - classification
Aspergillus - drug effects
Candida - classification
Candida - drug effects
Candidiasis - microbiology
Clove Oil - chemistry
Clove Oil - pharmacology
Dermatomycoses - microbiology
Ergosterol - metabolism
Eugenol - chemistry
Eugenol - pharmacology
Flow Cytometry
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Oils, Volatile - chemistry
Oils, Volatile - pharmacology
Syzygium - chemistry
ISSN:1473-5644, 1473-5644
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Summary:The composition and antifungal activity of clove essential oil (EO), obtained from Syzygium aromaticum, were studied. Clove oil was obtained commercially and analysed by GC and GC-MS. The EO analysed showed a high content of eugenol (85.3 %). MICs, determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocols, and minimum fungicidal concentration were used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the clove oil and its main component, eugenol, against Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte clinical and American Type Culture Collection strains. The EO and eugenol showed inhibitory activity against all the tested strains. To clarify its mechanism of action on yeasts and filamentous fungi, flow cytometric and inhibition of ergosterol synthesis studies were performed. Propidium iodide rapidly penetrated the majority of the yeast cells when the cells were treated with concentrations just over the MICs, meaning that the fungicidal effect resulted from an extensive lesion of the cell membrane. Clove oil and eugenol also caused a considerable reduction in the quantity of ergosterol, a specific fungal cell membrane component. Germ tube formation by Candida albicans was completely or almost completely inhibited by oil and eugenol concentrations below the MIC values. The present study indicates that clove oil and eugenol have considerable antifungal activity against clinically relevant fungi, including fluconazole-resistant strains, deserving further investigation for clinical application in the treatment of fungal infections.
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ISSN:1473-5644
1473-5644
DOI:10.1099/jmm.0.010538-0