Antifungal activity of Ferulago capillaris essential oil against Candida, Cryptococcus, Aspergillus and dermatophyte species

Abstract

This study evaluates the composition, antifungal activity and mechanism of action of the essential oil of Ferulago capillaris (Link ex Spreng.) Cout. and its main components, limonene and α-pinene, against clinically relevant yeasts and moulds. Essential oil from the plant's aerial parts was obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Essential oil showed high contents of limonene (30.9%) and α-pinene (35.8%). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were measured according to the reference Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) broth macrodilution protocols. Cell suspensions were subcultured in solid medium and the minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were rendered. The effect of essential oil on germ tube formation, mitochondrial function and ergosterol biosynthesis was investigated. Essential oil and α-pinene displayed low and similar MIC and MFC values against tested organisms (0.08 to 5.0 μL/mL), while limonene showed a weaker activity (0.32 to 20 μL/mL). Essential oil inhibited germ tube formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations on Candida albicans. The exposure of C. albicans to the essential oil resulted in impairment of mitochondrial functions in a dose-dependent manner. No difference in ergosterol content was observed in essential oil-treated C. albicans. F. capillaris and α-pinene display a broad fungicidal activity. The fungicidal activity of F. capillaris on C. albicans can be related to an induced oxidative stress which affects enzymes activity and the membrane potential of mitochondria. The essential oil of F. capillaris was shown to have potential for use in the development of clinically useful therapeutic preparations, particularly for topical application in the management of superficial mycoses.

Antifungal activity of extracts fromCynomorium coccineumgrowing wild in Sardinia island (Italy)

“…Furthermore, it has recently been suggested by Saville et al (2006) that this inhibitory activity alone can be used to treat infection in animal models of invasive candidiasis. The influence of the methanolic extract on its yeast -mycelium transition, at concentrations below the MIC, was already reported for some essential oils (Vale-Silva et al 2010;Zuzarte et al 2012;Pinto et al 2013). In this work, we provided evidences, for the first time, of the antifungal properties of the C. coccineum methanolic extract.…”

Antiamnesic and Antioxidants Effects of Ferulago angulata Essential Oil Against Scopolamine-Induced Memory Impairment in Laboratory Rats

“…Some Ferulago species have been used in folk medicine for their sedative, tonic, digestive, anti-parasitic and aphrodisiac properties [13]. F. angulata has already shown to have high antioxidant properties [14].…”

Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil on germ tube formation by Candida albicans isolated from denture wearers

“…Consistent with our results, Bernardes et al 8 observed a 95% reduction in germ cell formation when C. albicans cells (ATCC 10-231) were treated with raw glycolic 10% (v/v) extract from fresh Aloe vera leaves. Interestingly, Pinto et al 10 demonstrated an effect of the Ferulago capillaris essential oil on cells during inhibition of germ tube formation in C. albicans, which demonstrated that oxidative stress affects the enzymatic activity as well as cell mitochondrial membrane potential and results in growth inhibition and death. Given the high cost of the required methods, it was impossible to analyze the composition of the essential oil investigated in this study, particularly for the two primary active components, α-pinene and 1,8-cineole 11 .…”