Antifungal activity of rosemary essential oil against Candida spp. isolates from HIV/AIDS patients with oral candidiasis.

Background Oral candidiasis (OC) develops in most HIV/AIDS patients. Increasing resistance to antifungals leads to searches for alternative treatment for OC. This study evaluated the in vitro activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil compared to fluconazole against Candida spp. Methods The rosemary essential oil used in this study is a commercial product (Young Living Ltd.). This essential oil and fluconazole were tested by broth microdilution assay against 40 isolates of Candida spp. (20 C. albicans and 20 C. non-albicans) obtained from HIV/AIDS patients with OC. Results Against C. albicans, MIC and MFC of rosemary essential oil were 6.25% and 25%, and fluconazole were 100% and >100%. Against C. non-albicans, MIC and MFC of rosemary essential oil were 12.5% and 25%, and fluconazole were 100% and >100%. Conclusion Rosemary essential oil was a potential antifungal candidate showing higher antifungal activity compared to fluconazole. It was fungistatic against C. albicans but fungicidal against C. non-albicans, suggesting its potential role in the treatment of OC due to C. non-albicans. Further studies are needed to determine safety and toxicity of this essential oil prior to human use especially in immunocompromised patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]