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This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), α-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to evaluate the antifungal activity ofFoeniculum vulgareessential oil; concomitantly, the safety of bioactive doses was also unveiled, for the first time, in several mammalian cells. The chemical characterisation was made by GC and GC–MS. Antifungal activity was evaluated against yeasts, dermatophytes andAspergillusstrains and germ tube inhibition assay was evaluated usingCandidaalbicans. Cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay. The main constituents of the oil are E-anetol (47%),α-phellandrene (11%),α-pinene (10.1%) and fenchone (10.8%). The oil was more active againstCryptococcus neoformansandC. albicans(MICs 0.32–0.64 μL/mL) and the filamentation ofC. albicanswas totally inhibited with 0.08 μL/mL. The oil is safe for keratinocytes, hepatocytes and fibroblasts in concentrations up to 1.25 μL/mL, and to macrophages up to 0.64 μL/mL. These findings highlight safe bioactive concentrations that should be deeper investigated for further application in pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Essential oils are known to possess antimicrobial activity against a wide spectrum of bacteria and fungi. In the present work the composition and the antifungal activity of the oils of Juniperus communis subsp. alpina (Suter) Čelak were evaluated. Moreover, the skin cytotoxicity, at concentrations showing significant antifungal activity, was also evaluated. The oils were isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal lethal concentration (MLC) were used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the oil against dermatophytes ( Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, T. rubrum, T. verrucosum), yeasts ( Candida albicans, C. guillermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans) and Aspergillus species ( Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger). Cytotoxicity was tested in HaCaT keratinocytes through the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Essential oil of J. communis subsp. alpina needles was predominantly composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons (78.4%), with the main compounds being sabinene (26.2%), α-pinene (12-9%) and limonene (10.4%). Results concerning the antifungal activity demonstrated the potential of needle oil against dermatophytes, particularly for Microsporum canis and Trichophyton rubrum with MIC and MLC of 0.32 μL/mL. Furthermore, evaluation of cell viability showed no significant cytotoxicity in HaCaT keratinocytes at concentrations between 0.32 and 0.64 μL/mL. These results show that it is possible to find appropriate doses of J. communis subsp. alpina oil with both antifungal activity and a very low detrimental effect on keratinocytes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of the volatile concentrate obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction of aerial parts of Crithmum maritimum L. growing spontaneously in one area of Mediterranean coast (Buggerru, Sardinia Island, Italy) and in two areas of the Atlantic coast (Figueira da Foz and S. Pedro de Moel, Portugal) was investigated by GC and GC-MS. The major oil components identified were p-cymene, β-phellandrene, γ-terpinene, thymol methyl ether and dillapiole. The results showed the presence of two chemotypes of C. maritimum with different dillapiole contents, ranging from 0.2 to 64.2% in Portuguese and Italian plants, respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal lethal concentration (MLC) were used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the oils against yeasts and dermatophyte strains. All the oils exhibited significant antifungal activity against dermatophyte strains. The oil with the higher amount of dillapiole (64.2%) was the most active with MIC values ranging from 0.08-0.32 µL mL-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Mentha cervina collected during the flowering and vegetative phases of the plants were investigated by GC and GC-MS. Quantitative differences were observed in the compositions, particularly in the amounts of pulegone (12.9-79.6%) and isomenthone (8.7-77.0%). Antifungal activity of the oils was evaluated by minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimal lethal concentrations (MLC) against Candida, Apergillus and dermatophyte strains. Antifungal activity of the sample containing lower amounts of pulegone was the highest for dermatophytes, particularly for Epidermophyton floccosum with MIC and MLC values of 0.63 µL mL - 1. Mentha cervina oils with low content of pulegone, may be an alternative as antifungal agents in dermatophytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pistacia terebinthus L. is used as an edible food plant and in folk medicine due to its medicinal properties. Its fruits contain an oil with important therapeutic and interesting nutritional properties due to the high content in oleic and linoleic acids. A valid extraction technique, using supercritical CO2, was tested to obtain a high-quality oil from Pistacia terebinthus from different geographical regions. This oil could be used both in food and pharmaceutical preparations because the recovery took place without using any organic solvent. It has been demonstrated that yield, fatty acid contents as well as antifungal activity depend on the origin of the plant.The antifungal activity of the extracts was evaluated by means of the microdilution method against Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and dermatophyte strains. The extract from the Italian sample showed a moderate activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale and Epidermophyton floccosum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]