Summary:
Fungal infections are caused by a small number of pathogenic species. These organisms can lead to mild infections or severe systemic disease, particularly in people with weakened immunity. Common forms include Candida albicans infections of the skin and mucous membranes, respiratory infections, and eye and nail infections. Conventional antifungal drugs face growing resistance, driving interest in plant-based alternatives such as essential oils (EOs). EOs are volatile, aromatic compounds containing active ingredients which have strong antimicrobial effects. Oils from Thymus (thyme), Cinnamomum (cinnamon), Melaleuca (tea tree), Mentha (peppermint), and Syzygium (clove) have shown antifungal activity against species of Aspergillus and Candida. EOs act through multiple mechanisms, including disrupting fungal cell membranes and generating oxidative stress that leads to cell death. Despite these promising findings, most evidence comes from laboratory studies rather than clinical trials. This review of studies published between 2010 and 2020 highlights that oils from Lavandula, Thymus, Salvia, Citrus, and Cymbopogon species show strong antifungal activity, particularly against skin infections. Emerging formulations such as gels and ointments have improved their potential for therapeutic use. EOs therefore represent a promising alternative to conventional antifungal agents, although more standardized research is needed to confirm their clinical effectiveness.
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.
Article Publication Date: 19/01/2021
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041093
