Abstract
Background: Many fungal infections are responsible for human skin damages, to control their negative action, some aromatic and medicinal plants are traditionally used by local population in Cameroon. The present study was carried out to determine the chemical composition of essential oils of Eugenia caryophylla and Mentha sp cf piperita and their antifungal activity on some human pathogenic fungi.Materials and methods: Essential oils from Eugenia caryophylla and Mentha sp cf piperita were extracted by steam distillation using Clevenger apparatus and the antifungal activity was evaluated on six human pathogenic fungal strains; two yeasts (Candida albicans 1 and Candida albicans 2) and four dermatophytes (Tricophyton rubrum 1, T. rubrum 2, T. violaceum, and T. soudanensis) using modified broth microdilution method M27-A3 and M38-A respectively.Results: The essential oils obtained yielded of 5.9 for Eugenia caryophylla and 0.2% Mentha sp cf piperita respectively. The chemical composition was assigned by GC and GC/SM and showed that E. caryophylla was mainly composed of eugenol (80.0 %), E-caryophyllene (8.3%), and eugenol acetate (6.7%) while Mentha sp cf piperita was characterized by piperitone (67.5 %), menthol (10.0 %) and ß-phellandrene (5.8%). The result showed that essential oil of E. caryophylla exhibit the highest antifungal activity with MICs and MFC of 0.25μL/mL and 0.125μL/mL for filamentous fungi and MIC of 0.5 μL/mL for both yeast strains while MFC value was 1 μL/mL for one yeast strain and not determined for the second. MFCs Mentha sp cf piperita essential oil showed a weak activity with a MIC of 2.5 μL/mL on Tricophyton strains while no activity was exhibited on Candida albicans strains.Conclusion: The results of this work can be used to confirm their traditional uses and can also be proposed as natural ingredients to some industries to treat superficial infections.Keys words: Essential oil, Eugenia caryophylla, Mentha sp cf piperita, antifungal activity, Human pathogenic strains, fungistatic and fungicide.
Highlights
The skin, first protective barrier against biotic and non biotic attacks is usually affected by environmental changes which usually cause damage on beauty and health (Gupta et al, 2007; Shweta and Swarnlata, 2011)
The aim of this work was to contribute to the valorisation of natural resources, by investigating the chemical composition and in vitro bioactivity of essential oils of E. caryophylla and Mentha sp cf piperita; two aromatics plants growing in Cameroon on six human pathogenic fungi
The analysis of the chemical composition of essential oils extracted from dried buds of Eugenia caryophylla and fresh leaves of Mentha sp cf piperita using gas chromatography (GC) and GC/SM method are found in table 1 where components are listed according to their index on HP-5 and CBW columns
Summary
The skin, first protective barrier against biotic and non biotic attacks is usually affected by environmental changes which usually cause damage on beauty and health (Gupta et al, 2007; Shweta and Swarnlata, 2011). Considering people’s needs and scientific progress, industries and researchers are looking forward for new substances which are less toxic, safer and respectful to human beings and their environment like plant natural substances. Many of these molecules are synthesized and stored by plants as essential oil and are recognized to be safe. The present study was carried out to determine the chemical composition of essential oils of Eugenia caryophylla and Mentha sp cf piperita and their antifungal activity on some human pathogenic fungi. Conclusion: The results of this work can be used to confirm their traditional uses and can be proposed as natural ingredients to some industries to treat superficial infections
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