Antifungal Properties of Some Commercial Extracts Against <i>Candida albicans</i>

Abstract

To evaluate the antifungal activity of five commercial extracts against Candida albicans in vitro, five commercial extracts obtained from Allium sativum, Chamaemelum nobile, Thymus vulgaris, Zingiber officinale and Ricinus communis were tested at three different concentrations (pure, 1/2 and 1/4) for their antimicrobial activity against C. albicans using agar disc diffusion method. C. albicans was least susceptible to the commercial extracts. The diameter of zone inhibition ranged between 6 and 13 mm. Z. officinale and T. vulgaris extracts appeared to be the most active, while A. sativum, C. nobile and R. communis extracts exhibited most weak antifungal activity against C. albicans. These findings increase the possibility of exploiting these commercial extracts as a safe alternative natural preservative.