In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of Allium hirtifolium and Allium sativum

OBJECTIVE: One of the major clinical problems is the resistance of Candida species towards most of antifungals. The search for new antifungal drug from plants have helped to overcome this problem. This study evaluated the effects of Allium hirtifolium and Allium sativum extracts on Candida tropicalis both in vitro and in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, clinical isolates of C. tropicalis were isolated and identified from immunocompromised patients with recurrent candidiasis. Antifungal susceptibilities assessment and time kill study of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A. hirtifolium and A. sativum extracts were done against C. tropicalis. The in vivo activity of aqueous extracts of A. hirtifolium and A. sativum were evaluated in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis caused by C. tropicalis through estimating the host survival time, fungal burden and histopathologic analyses. RESULTS: The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A. hirtifolium and A. sativum exhibited significant antifungal activity against C. tropicalis. In time kill study, A. hirtifolium and A. sativum extracts exhibited significant effects against C. tropicalis (p<0.05). Treatment of BALB/c mice that were systemically infected with C. tropicalis, showed that treatments with A. hirtifolium and A. sativum (at 1 mg/kg/day) were slightly less efficacious than that of fluconazole in terms of the fungal burden reduction and host survival time, it was still effective against C. tropicalis. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the anticandidal properties of A. hirtifolium and A. sativum extracts in vitro and in vivo and suggest their potential to be used as an adjuvant therapy in the management of Candida infections.