Antifungal Effect of Essential Oils from Five Medicinal Herbs on Candida albicans

[Objective]To investigate the antifungal effect of essential oils from 5 medicinal herbs on Candida albicans. [Method]By adop- ting tube disk approach,the essential oils of cinnamon bark,palchouli,clove,fennel and Schisandra rosea were respectively diluted to 2. 5 - 0. 019 5 μL / mL by tiraes ratio dilution for MIC and MFC experiments on pathogenic Candida albicans strains ( Monilia albican,Candida tropi- cal,Candida krusei) from intestinal tract,lung and kidney. [Results]The MIC and MFC of cinnamon bark oil against Candida albicans were 0. 039 and 0. 078 μL / mL respectively; those of clove oil against Candida albicans were 0. 156 and 0. 312 5 μL / mL respectively; those of pal- chouli oil against Candida albicans were 0. 313 and 0. 625 μL / mL respectively; those of fennel oil oil against Candida albicans were 0. 156 and 0. 312 5 μL / mL respectively. The MIC of Schisandra rosea oil against Candida albicans ( Monilia albican,Candida krusei) was 0. 312 5 μL/mL,that against Candida tropical was 0. 625 μL/mL,and the MFC of Schisandra rosea oil against Candida albicans was 0. 312 5 μL/mL. For the control group ( fluconazole) ,the MIC of Schisandra rosea oil against Candida albicans ( Monilia albican,Candida tropical) was 0. 312 5 μL / mL,and that against Candida krusei was 2. 5 mg / mL. The essential oils from five medicinal herbs all showed strong antifungal effect against Candida albicans strains ( Monilia albican,Candida tropical,Candida krusei) . The antifungal activity was determined in turn as cinnamon bark oil clove oil palchouli oil fennel oil Schisandra rosea oil. Candida krusei showed drug resistance to fluconazole. [Conclusion]The essential oils extracted from natural medicinal herbs are effective in treating invasive fungal infection caused by Candida al- bicans,moreover,this does not bring drug resistance to Candida albicans.