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Evaluation of The Antifungal Activity Of Mentha x piperita (Lamiaceae) Of Pancalieri (Turin, Italy) Essential Oil And Its Synergistic Interaction With Azoles
Tullio, V.; Roana, J.; Scalas, D.; Mandras, N. Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Mentha x piperita (Lamiaceae) of Pancalieri (Turin, Italy) Essential Oil and Its Synergistic Interaction with Azoles. Molecules2019, 24, 3148.
Tullio, V.; Roana, J.; Scalas, D.; Mandras, N. Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Mentha x piperita (Lamiaceae) of Pancalieri (Turin, Italy) Essential Oil and Its Synergistic Interaction with Azoles. Molecules 2019, 24, 3148.
Tullio, V.; Roana, J.; Scalas, D.; Mandras, N. Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Mentha x piperita (Lamiaceae) of Pancalieri (Turin, Italy) Essential Oil and Its Synergistic Interaction with Azoles. Molecules2019, 24, 3148.
Tullio, V.; Roana, J.; Scalas, D.; Mandras, N. Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Mentha x piperita (Lamiaceae) of Pancalieri (Turin, Italy) Essential Oil and Its Synergistic Interaction with Azoles. Molecules 2019, 24, 3148.
Abstract
The promising antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) led researchers to use them in combination with antimicrobial drugs in order to reduce drug toxicity, side effects, and resistance with single agents. In Pancalieri (Turin, Italy), there is a local production of Mentha x piperita worldwide known as “Mentha of Pancalieri”. The EO from this Mentha is considered as one of the best peppermint EO in the world. In our research, we assessed the antifungal activity of “Mentha of Pancalieri” EO either alone or in combination with azole drugs (fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole) against a wide panel of yeast and dermatophyte clinical isolates. The EO was analyzed by GC-MS and its antifungal properties were evaluated by MIC/MFC parameters, according to the CLSI guidelines, with some modifications. The interaction of peppermint EO with azoles was evaluated through the chequerboard and isobologram methods. Results suggest this EO exerts a fungicidal activity against yeasts, and a fungistatic activity against dermatophytes. Interaction studies with azoles indicate mainly synergistic profiles between itraconazole and peppermint EO vs. Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Peppermint of Pancalieri EO may act as a potential antifungal agent and may serve as a natural adjuvant for fungal infection treatment.
Keywords
essential oils; Mentha x piperita; “Mentha of Pancalieri”; azoles; antifungal activity; yeasts and dermatophytes; synergism
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
