Evaluation of the Effects of Two Herbal Essences of Eucalyptus and Lavanda on the Growth of Candida albicans animal Strains Resistant and Sensitive to Itraconazole

Candidiasis is a kind of fungal disease that the most common causative agent in both human beings and livestock is Candida albicans. With respect to the increasing resistance of fungi to anti-fungal medicine and also medical restrictions in treating fungal diseases such as high expenses and the side-effects of these medicines، it is vital to study combinations like medical herbs which can replace them. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two herbal essences of eucalyptus and lavanda on the growth of clinical strains of Candida albicans taken from livestock with mucosal and cutaneous infections، and to compare them with Candida albicans resistant and sensitive to Itraconazole. The study was conducted over 20 Candida albicans taken from livestock (cow and dog) infected cutaneous and mucosal candidiasis. The degree of samples’ sensitivity to Eucalyptus and Lavanda were determined through applying broth microdilution method. In this method، essences were first dissolved in DMSO and were then diluted on the ratio of 1 to 100 with the RPMI culture medium. Serial dilutions were then prepared from them in microplates، and their MICs were finally determined after the inoculation of yeast samples and within the incubation period and by comparing them with the control wells. In the present study، the MIC of eucalyptus against Candida albicans was determined at 4-1024μl/ml، in which the most growth fluctuations it had were seen in the densities of 64 and 32 μl/ml. Also، the MIC of Lavanda was determined at 1-256 μl/ml، and the most fluctuations it had in its growth were in the densities of 16 and 8 μl/ml. The results of the study proved that eucalyptus and Lavanda essences have a very good anti-fungal effect on Candida albicans. In this study، the essences of both Lavanla and eucalyptus showed good anti-candidiasis effects، and no significant difference was observed in the MICs of strains sensitive and resistant to Itraconazole.