Plants from the Myrtaceae family are known to contain considerable quantities of volatile compounds, ranging from oxygenated monoterpenes to hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, and others, which exhibit antimicrobial activity. One such plant includes Syzygium aromaticum, which has been extensively used to treat a number of disorders, including bacterial and fungal infections. Thus, the scientific validation of the essential oil (EO) of Syzygium aromaticum vis-à-vis Candida and Cryptococcus species is valuable. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the antifungal activity of EO from S. aromaticum (clove) leaves and flower buds against Candida and Cryptococcus species. The antioxidant activity of S. aromaticum’s essential oils was also elucidated. The EO was extracted from fresh leaves and floral buds of S. aromaticum using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The as-prepared essential oils were further evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida and Cryptococcus species using a microdilution method. The phytochemical analysis of the EOs was assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activities of the EOs were evaluated using standard methods. As a result, the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of volatile compounds, such as eugenol (87.08%), β-caryophyllene (6.40%) and acetyleugenol (4.45%) as the major constituents of EO from the flower buds, and eugenol (90.54%) and β-caryophyllene (8.42%) as the major components of the leaf’s EO. The eugenol-rich essential oils exhibited significant antifungal effects against Candida species (common MIC value: 200 ppm) and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC value: 50 ppm), as well as antioxidant activity. Overall, essential oils of S. aromaticum demonstrated antioxidant and antifungal effects, thus validating the ethnopharmacological use of this plant in the treatment of fungal infections. However, antifungal mechanisms of action, in-depth toxicity and in vivo experiments, and pharmacokinetics are warranted to support the use of this plant in ethnomedicine.

Plants from the Myrtaceae family are well known to contain considerable amounts of volatile compounds, ranging from oxygenated monoterpenes to hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, and others, which exhibit antimicrobial activity. One such plant includes Syzygium aromaticum that has been extensively used to treat a number of disorders, including bacterial and fungal infections. Thus, the scientific validation of the essential oil (EO) of Syzygium aromaticum vis-à-vis Candida and Cryptococcus species is valuable. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the antifungal activity of EO from S. aromaticum (clove) leaves and flower buds against Candida and Cryptococcus species. The antioxidant activity of S. aromaticum’s essential oils is also elucidated. The EO was extracted from fresh leaves and floral buds of S. aromaticum using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The as-prepared essential oils were further evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida and Cryptococcus species using a microdilution method. The phytochemical analysis of the EOs was assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activities of the EOs were evaluated using standard methods. As a result, the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of volatile compounds, such as eugenol (87.08%), β-caryophyllene (6.40%) and acetyleugenol (4.45%) as the major constituents of EO from the flower buds ; and eugenol (90.54%) and β-caryophyllene (24.65%) as the major components of the leaf’s EO. The eugenol-rich essential oils exhibited significant antifungal effects against Candida species (common MIC value: 200 ppm) and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC value: 50 ppm), as well as antioxidant activity. Overall, essential oils of S. aromaticum demonstrated an-tioxidant and antifungal effects, thus validating the ethnopharmacological use of this plant in the treatment of fungal infections. However, antifungal mechanisms of action, in-depth toxicity and in vivo experiments, and pharmacokinetics are warranted to support the use of this plant in ethnomedicine.

The outcome of antifungal treatments is hindered by various conditions, such as resistance and tolerance of certain fungal pathogens. Mycoses of nails and skin, which are primarily caused by dermatophytes, are the most common fungal infections, with Trichophyton rubrum being the most common dermatophytic pathogen, followed by Trichophyton interdigitale. Thus, the search for effective treatments against dermatophyte infections is valuable. This study is sought to investigate the antidermatophytic and antioxidant activities of essential oils and nanoemulsions of the leaves and stems from Ocimum gratissimum and Ocimum basilicum. The plants’ essential oils, which were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, were further analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with spectrometry mass (GC/MS). The nanoemulsions were obtained by spontaneous emulsification using Tween 80 and their stabilities were evaluated using distilled water and methylene blue dye. The antidermatophytic effects of the essential oils were evaluated using an agar diffusion method and by determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). The antioxidant activity was carried out by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) colorimetric method. As a result, the GC/MS analysis of essential oil from O. gratissimum revealed the presence of γ-terpinene (33.73%), thymol (26.44%) and 1.8 cineol (16.65%), whereas the O. basilicum’s essential oil was dominated by linalool (55.32%), eucalyptol (16.78%) and eugenol (7.45%). Essential oils and nanoemulsions from O. gratissimum (MICs : 1000 and 2000 ppm, respectively) and O. basilicum (MICs : 5750 and 6750 ppm, respectively) revealed fungicidal activity against Trichophyton rubrum, whereas only O. gratissimum showed moderate activity against T. interdigitale. Moreover, essential oils and nanoemulsions from O. gratissimum and O. basilicum scavenged the free radicals of DPPH, thus revealing antioxidant activity. This novel contribution demonstrates the antidermatophytic activity of essential oils and nanoemulsions from O. gratissimum and O. basilicum, thus supporting the traditional use of these plants in ethnomedicine.