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Evaluation and comparison of the antifungal effects of Thymus vulgaris essential oil nanoemulsion in combination with Fluconazole against Candida albicans ATCC-10231 in vitro
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Mina Al-Sadat Mohammadi1   , Azadeh Ghaffari1 , Sima Darabian1 , Samineh Jafari1 , Saeid Amanloo2 |
1- zanjan university of medical sciences
2- zanjan university of medical sciences , s.amanloo@zums.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (46 Views) |
Abstract
Background: Candida species, especially Candida albicans, are among the leading causes of opportunistic fungal infections and play an important role in mortality rates, especially in immunocompromised patients. Given the increasing resistance to antifungal drugs, the present study was designed to investigate the antifungal properties and interaction of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) oil nanoemulsion in combination with fluconazole against C. albicans.
Methods: Thyme essential oil nanoemulsion was prepared, its droplet size was measured using a DLS and the chemical composition was determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Then, MIC and MFC of each compound were determined against C. albicans using the micro broth dilution method. To evaluate the interaction between Fluconazole and essential oil, the checkerboard method was used, and the results were calculated using the ΣFIC index for each sample.
Results: The mean droplet size of the thyme oil nanoemulsion was found to be 43 nm. The major constituents of the essential oil included thymol (44.79%), p-cymene (23.35%), γ-terpinene (6.55%), and linalool (4.55%). The MIC values for Fluconazole and thyme essential oil and nanoemulsion were 1 μg/ml and 156.25 μg/ml, respectively. Since Fluconazole had a negative MFC against the standard strain of C. albicans, it did not exhibit fungicidal properties. In contrast, the essential oil showed fungicidal effects with an MFC of 156.25 μg/ml, and the nanoemulsion displayed an MFC of 312.5 μg/ml. The ΣFICI values for the combination of fluconazole with the essential oil and the nanoemulsion were 1.5, indicating an indifferent interaction.
Conclusion: The essential oil and nanoemulsion of Thymus vulgaris, exhibited antifungal activity against the standard strain of C. albicans, but the nanoemulsion did not enhance the inhibitory effect of the essential oil. On the other hand, the combination of Thymus vulgaris and fluconazole was classified as Indifference in the drug interaction study.
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| Keywords: Nanoemulsion, Essential oil, Thymus vulgaris, Fluconazole, Candida albicans, Antifungal. |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Microbiology
Received: 2025/09/24 | Accepted: 2026/02/2 | Published: 2026/02/3
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