Antifungal Properties of Essential Oils and Their Compounds for Application in Skin Fungal Infections: Conventional and Nonconventional Approaches

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) are known to have varying degrees of antimicrobial properties that are mainly due to the presence of bioactive compounds. These include antiviral, nematicidal, antifungal, insecticidal and antioxidant properties. This review highlights the potential of EOs and their compounds for application as antifungal agents for the treatment of skin diseases via conventional and nonconventional approaches. A search was conducted using three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar), and all relevant articles from the period of 2010–2020 that are freely available in English were extracted. In our findings, EOs with a high percentage of monoterpenes showed strong ability as potential antifungal agents. Lavandula sp., Salvia sp., Thymus sp., Citrus sp., and Cymbopogon sp. were among the various species found to show excellent antifungal properties against various skin diseases. Some researchers developed advanced formulations such as gel, semi-solid, and ointment bases to further evaluate the effectiveness of EOs as antifungal agents. To date, most studies on the application of EOs as antifungal agents were performed using in vitro techniques, and only a limited number pursued in vivo and intervention-based research.

Augmenting the Activity of Chlorhexidine for Decolonization of Candida auris from Porcine skin

“…We considered the possibility that essential oils with antifungal activity may be helpful for decolonization. Essential oils from a variety of plants have been shown to exhibit broad antifungal effects and have been utilized for topical use [26]. The active components of these oils consist primarily of terpenes and their metabolic derivatives, and vary by derived plant genus and species.…”

“…The active components of these oils consist primarily of terpenes and their metabolic derivatives, and vary by derived plant genus and species. We elected to examine the activity of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil, given its antifungal effects and documented favorable safety profile [25][26][27]. We also included lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) oil, in light of its antifungal properties and worldwide use [28].…”

Headspace/GC–MS Analysis and Investigation of Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oils and Hydrolates from Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Lavandula angustifolia Miller

“…L. angustifolia EO is used in perfumery and cosmetics and its activity on the central nervous system, as a sedative, anxiolytic and antidepressant, was also evidenced [12][13][14]. Furthermore, biological activities of EOs from Lavandula genus, such as antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer effects, were reported [15][16][17][18][19][20]. EO chemical composition is highly complex and it can vary considerably depending on several factors, such as the cultivation area, environmental conditions, morphological characteristics and processing techniques of the plant [21][22][23]; moreover, the chemical composition influences the way in which EOs exert their antibacterial activity [24].…”

Synergistic potential of essential oils with antibiotics to combat fungal pathogens: Present status and future perspectives

“…Aromatic plants are widely utilized in ancient drugs, and also the essential oils extracted from them have diverse medicinal properties (Figure 3) (Bakkali et al, 2008;Dorman & Deans, 2000;Isman & Machial, 2006;Ratnakar & Murthy, 1995). There are many essential oils which have antifungal properties against pathogenic yeast like Candida sp., filamentous fungi and dermatophytes (Abd Rashed et al, 2021;Irkin & Korukluoglu, 2009). Some examples include EOs from Allium cepa, Allium sativum Cinnamomum verum, Mentha canadensis, Cymbopogon martinii, Pelargonium graveolens and Syzygium aromaticum (Carson & Hammer, 2011;Devkatte et al, 2005;Rosato et al, 2008).…”