Anti-Yeast Activity of Cinnamaldehyde, Eugenol and Linalool

Buket Kunduhoglu

It is well known that essential oils and their specific constituents have antimicrobial effects against several pathogenic and saprophytic microorganisms. Therefore, essential oils can be used as alternative or complementary antifungal agents against pathogenic yeasts, especially drug-resistant strains. In addition, essential oils can be used to reduce the effective dose of antifungal drugs. This study evaluates the anti-yeast potential of some essential oil constituents (EOCs), namely, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and linalool. Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used as indicator test strains. EOCs exhibited significant fungicidal activity against indicator strains. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of the EOCs ranged from 0.048 to 3.12 µl/ml, while the MFC values of amphotericin B and ketoconazole (positive controls) ranged from 0.78 to 1.56 µg/ml and 6.25–12.25 µg/ml, respectively. These compounds could be further developed into new antifungal agents, either alone or in combination with conventional antifungals.