Antifungal Activity of Eugenol and Various Eugenol-Containing Essential Oils against 38 Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans

Abstract

The antifungal activity of eugenol containing essential oils - pimento oil (Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr), bay oil (Pimenta racemosa (Mill.) J. W. Moore), clove oil (Szygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & M. Perry), and cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) was investigated against 38 clinical isolates of Candida albicans (12 oropharyngeal, 16 vaginal and 10 skin damaging strains). The strains isolated from skin infections were more susceptible to all of the investigated essential oils whereas the oropharyngeal strains were more resistible. The strongest antifungal activity against clinical isolates of oropharyngeal, vagina and skin strains of Candida albicans possesses clove oil, followed by cinnamon oil, pimento oil and bay oil. Anticandidial action of the investigated oils is significantly due to its major component eugenol, but also minor constituents of the essential oils, such as methyleugenol, chavicol and linalool, must have additional and/or synergistic effects to explain the obtained anticandidal data of each essential oil sample.