title: Chemical composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Thymbra capitata.
abstract: The composition and the antifungal activity of the essential oil of Thymbra capitata on Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte strains were studied. Twenty-two samples of the essential oils from the aerial parts of the plant were obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC and GC-MS. All samples are of the carvacrol type, with a high content of carvacrol (60.0 - 65.8 %) and its biogenetic precursors, gamma-terpinene (8.2 - 9.5 %) and p-cymene (6.0 - 7.5 %). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal lethal concentration (MLC) were used to evaluate the antifungal activity against Candida (7 clinical isolates and 3 ATCC type strains), Aspergillus (5 clinical isolates, 2 CECT and 2 ATCC type strains) and 5 dermatophyte clinical strains. To clarify its mechanism of action on Candida strains, the inhibition of germ tube and a flow cytometry assay with propidium iodide (PI) were used. The oil exhibited antifungal activity for all the tested strains, particularly for dermatophytes, with MIC values ranging from 0.08 to 0.32 microL/mL. Regarding Candida, concentrations lower than the MIC values prevented germ tube formation. After a short incubation time the cells incorporated quickly PI, meaning that the fungicidal effect is mainly due to direct lesion of the membrane.
authors.affiliation: Lab. de Farmacognosia, Faculdade de Farmácia/CEF, Universidade de Coimbra, P-3000 Coimbra, Portugal. ligia@ff.uc.pt
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Salgueiro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pina-Vaz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavaleiro
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palmeira
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa-de-Oliveira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez-de-Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000187:drug effects; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000187:drug effects; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019686:Lamiaceae; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008517:Phytotherapy; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010938:Plant Oils