Synergistic Inhibition of Candida albicans Growth by Plant Extract Combinations

Abstract

Abstract Many skin diseases are caused by microbial infections. Representative pathogenic fungus and bacterium that cause skin diseases are Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. In this study, among methanol extracts of 240 edible plants, C. albicans, S. aureus, and Malassezia pachydermatis, a fungus that causes animal skin diseases, were killed by extracts of 10 plants: Acori Gramineri Rhizoma, Angelicae Tenuissimae Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Impatientis Semen, Magnoliae Cortex, Moutan Cortex Radicis, Phellodendri Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, and Syzygii Flos. By evaluating the synergistic antifungal activities against C. albicans using all 45 possible combinations of these 10 extracts, five new synergistic antifungal combinations were identified. By utilizing the selected extracts and five combinations with synergistic antifungal effects, this work provides materials and methods to develop new and safe methods for treating candidiasis using natural products.