SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ORAL CANDIDA SPP. REFERENCE STRAINS AND CLINICAL ISOLATES TO SELECTED ESSENTIAL OILS OF APIACEAE SPECIES

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and antifungal activity of four essential oils from Apiaceae family, Pastinaca sativa, Foeniculum vulgare, Pimpinella anisum and Anethum graveolens, against Candida spp. reference strains and clinical isolates from human oral cavities. Chemical analysis of the essential oils (GCFID and GC/MS) showed that predominating chemical classes in the essential oil of A. graveolens was monoterpene hydrocarbons (49.4 %) and the major constituent of the oil was carvone (42.2 %): while in the oils of P. anisum, F. vulgare and P. sativa majority of compounds belong to phenylpropenes (80.9 %, 65.9 % and 49.4 %, respectively): and the major oil constituents were trans-anethole (65.1 % and 80.8 %) and myristicine (49.0 %): respectively. Minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum fungicidal (MFC) concentrations were determined using microdilution method. All the tested oils inhibited growth of Candida spp. The strongest antifungal activity was shown by A. graveolens essential oil (MIC 0.63-2.5 mg mL-1; MFC 1.25-5 mg mL-1). In addition to the common use of parsnip, fennel, anise and dill in traditional medicine, present study validates use of their essential oils in treatments intended for reduction and elimination of Candida spp. population in human patients with fungal infection