title: The comparative study of antifungal activity of Syzygium aromaticum, Punica granatum and nystatin on Candida albicans; an in vitro study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Candida species are opportunistic fungi, among which, Candida albicans is the most important species responsible for infections in immunocompromised patients with invasive fungal disease. Resistance of Candida species to antifungal drugs has led scientists to pay more attention to traditional medicine herbs. Due to the limitations in the treatment of fungal diseases such as shortages, high prices, antifungal side effects and drug resistance or reduced susceptibility to fungal drugs we decided to study the antifungal effects of herbal extracts of Syzygium aromaticum and Punica granatum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one isolates of oral C. albicans in patients with denture stomatitis referred to prosthesis department, Dental faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were prepared and cultured. Plant extracts were prepared from the herbs market. Tests on patient samples and standard strains 5027ATCC (PTCC10231) yeast C. albicans were performed via well diffusion method. In addition, nystatin and methanol were used as positive and negative control, respectively. Finally, the antifungal effect of extracts using Statistical Repeated measurement ANOVA test was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both S. aromaticum and P. granatum showed noticeable antifungal activity in well method. Syzygium aromaticum showed better anti candida activity than nystatin (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to increasing problems with fungal diseases, these findings suggest that the plant extracts of S. aromaticum and P. granatum showed good antifungal effects (P-value<0.001). S. aromaticum (inhibition zone diameter: 29.62) showed better antifungal effects than nystatin (inhibition zone diameter: 28.48).
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Dental Research Center Of Tums, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansourian
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boojarpour
authors.affiliation: Students Scientific Research Center, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: sajjadashna@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashnagar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Dental Research Center Of Tums, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Momen Beitollahi
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shamshiri
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009761:Nystatin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D027842:Syzygium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009761:Nystatin
keywords: Antifongiques; Antifungal agents; Candida albicans; Candidose buccale; Nystatin; Nystatine; Oral candidiasis; Punica granatum; Syzygium aromaticum