Aspergillus fumigatus is the main etiological agent of aspergillosis.
Considering azole antifungal drug resistance in A. fumigatus, which
compromises treatment, new alternatives are needed. Among them, essential oils
(EOs) can be an alternative treatment, having shown positive results in
inhibiting phytopathogenic fungi in vitro. We aimed to determine the
in vitro antifungal activity of Origanum vulgare L. subsp.
hirtum (Link) (oregano) and Rosmarinus officinalis L.
(rosemary) EOs alone and in association (O. vulgare+R.
officinalis) against A. fumigatus. EOs were analyzed by gas
chromatography (GC-FID and GC/MS systems), and analyses showed that the
major components of O. vulgare EO were carvacrol (67.8%),
p-cymene (14.8%), and thymol (3.9%); for R. officinalis,
they were the monoterpenes 1,8-cineole (49.1%), camphor (18.1%)
and α-pinene (8.1). For biological assays, five EO concentrations, 0.2;
0.4; 0.6; 0.8 and 1.0%, were used in disk diffusion and agar dilution
tests for 21 days. In disk diffusion, O. vulgare EO alone and in
association (O. vulgare+R. officinalis) showed fungicidal
activity at all concentrations. In agar dilution, inhibitory action was
demonstrated from 0.6% for O. vulgare EO and in association
(O. vulgare+R. officinalis). R. officinalis EO
at 1.0% showed no fungal growth, determining the minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC). The present study demonstrated inhibitory actions of O.
vulgare and R. officinalis EOs in A. fumigatus. GC
analyses corroborated the literature regarding their antibacterial and
antifungal effects. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies
are needed to evaluate EOs as alternative antifungals for treating
aspergillosis.
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