Comparison of the Antifungal Efficacy of Four Concentrations of (Muña) Essential Oil against An Study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to compare the antifungal efficacy of four concentrations of essential oil (MEO) against ATCC 10231.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted . Ten kilograms of (Muña) were collected in the city of Tarma, Peru. The plant was then dried in the shade at room temperature (21°C), and the essential oil was obtained through distillation. ATCC 10231 was cultured at a MacFarland scale of 0.5, which corresponds to a concentration of 3 × 10 CFU/mL. Each plate was filled with one of the four MEO concentrations (25, 50, 75, or 100%), dimethyl sulfoxide (negative control), or fluconazole (positive control), a known antifungal agent. After incubation, each plate was examined using the Kirby-Bauer method.

RESULTS

Compared to MEO 25%, MEO 50%, and MEO 75%, MEO 100% had the highest antifungal efficacy at 24, 48, and 72 hours of evaluation, with an average of 18.9 ± 0.7, 18.2 ± 0.7, and 17.0 ± 0.4 mm, respectively. However, fluconazole had higher efficacy (27.9 ± 0.5, 27.5 ± 0.5, and 23.7 ± 0.7 mm, respectively). analysis showed that there were significant differences between all concentrations of the MEO groups and their respective positive and negative control groups ( <0.001).

CONCLUSION

Among the MEO groups, the pure concentration (MEO 100%) had the highest antifungal efficacy. However, fluconazole presented greater efficacy, and the differences were statistically significant.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This research allowed to know the efficacy of this natural resource against one of the most prevalent fungi in the oral cavity. Therefore, a line of research could be opened to deepen its potential benefits for oral health.