Activity of Melaleuca, Cymbopogon, Cinnamomum and Thymus essential oils against pathogenic fungi

In this review, researchers at SNDT Women’s University in India discussed the potential of various essential oils as antifungal agents against known pathogens. The article was published in the Journal of Essential Oil Research.

• Mortality due to fungal infections, especially among immunocompromised individuals, has risen in recent years.
• Scientists are worried about the possibility of having no effective antifungal agent in the future because of the rapidly developing resistance of pathogenic fungi to currently available antifungal agents.
• This is why many studies are now being conducted to develop new strategies that involve reliable agents for the treatment of fungal diseases.
• Essential oils derived from medicinal plants are known for their antimicrobial properties.
• They are considered the hydrophobic secondary metabolites in plants and are multi-component in nature.
• Various essential oils have shown antifungal activities against pathogenic fungi like Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus and Fusarium.
• These fungi are the most common causes of mortality in immunocompromised patients.

The researchers noted that essential oils derived from plants belonging to the genera Melaleuca (tea tree), Cymbopogon (lemongrass), Cinnamomum (cinnamon) and Thymus (thyme) have remarkable antifungal activity against these pathogenic fungi.

Journal Reference:

Natu KN, Tatke PA. ESSENTIAL OILS – PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR ANTIFUNGAL TREATMENT? Journal of Essential Oil Research. 08 May 2019;31(5):347–360. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2019.1604437