Method: The antifungal potential was determined by the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) performed by the microdilution method on Sabouraud Dextrose (SD) using 96-well microplates and sowing on Petri dishes, respectively. In each well were added 100μL of SD broth doubly concentrated, 100μL of the essential oil emulsion and 10μL of the fungal inoculums. To determine the MFC was held sowing in SD agar of 10μL of dilutions corresponding to the MIC and two subsequent wells. The tests were performed in triplicate, using Nystatin as positive control.
Result: For Candida tropicalis, it was found that the MIC coincided with the MFC to the essential oil of Cymbopogon winterianus and Mentha arvensis (1.250μg/mL and 2.500μg/mL, respectively). An underperformed against the same strain was observed by Pimpinella anisum (MIC=10.000μg/mL and MFC=40.000μg/mL) and Eucalyptus citriodora (MIC=2.500μg/mL and MFC=10.000μg/mL). The Nystatin presented MIC and MFC equal to 1.250μg/mL and 2.500μg/mL, respectively. For Candida krusei, both MIC and MFC showed the same result for Cymbopogon winterianus (2.500μg/mL), Mentha arvensis (2.500μg/mL), Eucalyptus citriodora (5.000μg/mL) and the control substance (5.000μg/mL). While Pimpinella anisum presented MIC and MFC equal to 5.000μg/mL and 10.000μg/mL, respectively. Only the essential oil of Baccharis trimera displayed no susceptibility against non-albicans species.
Conclusion: Cymbopogon winterianus exhibited higher antifungal potential against the studied strains showing results equal to or greater than the positive control.