In Vitro Anti-candidal Activity Of The Four Traditional Chinese Medicines

BACKGROUND: The Candida are pathogenicity fungus when the conditions are suitable. In recent years, the infections of Candida have been increased with the application of immunosuppressive agent, broad-spectrum antibiotic, corticosteroid hormone in clinic, and together with the increasing AIDS patients. Some investigation indicate that many diseases of oral mucosa are related to the infection of Candida, for example, oral candidasis, oral lichen planus, oral leukoplakia, et al. Large numbers of research have confirmed that the motivation of some oral mucosa diseases is the infection of Candida, and some oral mucosa diseases with the infection of Candida will affect the curative effect. At present, the western medicine has always been applied in infection of Candida on clinical treatment. Because of matters of these medicines, such as narrow antimicrobial spectrum, and ease to drug fast, we begin to study the anti-candidal traditional Chinese medicines.OBJECTIVE: The object of this study was to estimate in vitro Anti-candidal activity of Eugenol, Citral, Cinnamaldehyde and the Essential oil of Illicium verum, in order to pick the best one which has the highest sensibility to oral Candida spp. Also, provide a foundation for further research and development of the anti-candidal traditional Chinese medicines.METHODS: With the broth microdilution testing procedure proposed by NCCLS, the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of the four traditional Chinese medicines were determined in 38 clinically isolated Candida strains and 2 standard strains, and Fluconazole, with ATCC 6258and ATCC 90028 used as positive control.RESULTS: 1.The 38 clinically isolated Candida strains were identified by Candida colouration medium, where 37 strains were C.albicans(97.4%), 1 strain was C.krusei(2.6%). 2.In the every experiment, for the ATCC 6258 the MICs of Fluconazole were 16~64μg/ml, for the ATCC 90028 the MICs of Fluconazole were 0.25~1.0μg/ml, those results accorded with the standard proposed by NCCLS M27-A2. So we can believed that the results of the experiment were reliable. 3.For the Candida strains the MICs of Eugenol were 199.50μg/ml~399.00μg/ml for C.albicans, 399.00μg/ml for C.krusei; the MICs of Citral were 166.31μg/ml~ 332.63μg/ml for C.albicans, 166.31μg/ml for C.krusei; the MICs of Cinnamaldehyde were 23.55μg/ml~94.20μg/ml for C.albicans, 47.10μg/ml for C.krusei; the MICs of the Essential oil of Illicium verum were 1218.75μg/ml~2437.50μg/ml for C.albicans, 1218.75μg/ml for C.krusei. 4.Two methods to determine the MICs were similar.CONCLUSION: 1.In the collection from oral, C.albicans are chief. 2.The M27-A2 project has a good reproducibility and a good concordance for results. 3.Eugenol, Citral, Cinnamaldehyde and the Essential oil of Illicium verum have different anti-candidal effects on 40 strains Candida spp.. The effect of Cinnamaldehyde is the best. 4. Two methods to determine the MICs are similar.