title: Antifungal effects of Lavandula binaludensis and Cuminum cyminum essential oils against Candida albicans strains isolated from patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), which affects approximately 5% of women of reproductive age, is defined as 4 or more episodes of symptomatic Candida vaginitis within a year. The purposes of this study were to determine the chemical compositions and antifungal susceptibility of Cuminum cyminum (C. cyminum) and Lavandula binaludensis (L. binaludensis) essential oils and their combination against Candida albicans (C. albicans) strains isolated from patients with RVVC.
  
  
  METHODS
  C. albicans isolates were identified via germ tube test, CHROMagar and RapID Yeast Plus System. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The broth microdilution method was used as antifungal susceptibility test (CLSI-M27-A3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GC-MS analysis allowed 13 components to be determined; the main components of C. cyminum and L. binaludensis essential oils were γ-terpinene (21.07%) and 1,8-cineole (71.56%), respectively. L. binaludensis and C. cyminum oils were effective in inhibiting C. albicans growth at mean concentrations of 7.91±1.61μg/mL and 8.00±1.89μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the combination of C. cyminum with L. binaludensis oils were more active causing inhibition in all C. albicans isolates, with concentrations varying from 3.90 to 11.71μg/mL (mean value: 7.22±1.69μg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggested the potential substitution of the antifungal chemicals by C. cyminum and L. binaludensis essential oils as natural inhibitors to control the growth of the most important pathogenic Candida species and alternative therapies for RVVC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Minooeianhaghighi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Damghan Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sepehrian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, 24th Aftab, Imam Khomeini Street, Amol, Iran. Electronic address: hshokri@ausmt.ac.ir.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shokri
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000382:microbiology*; D028527:Cuminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D027523:Lavandula / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils
keywords: Antifungal activity; Candidose vulvo-vaginale récidivante; Cuminum cyminum; Essential oil; GC-MS; Huile essentielle; Lavandula binaludensis; L’activité antifongique; Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis