Antifungal activity of oleic acid and essential oil of Thymus saturejoides L. and Mint pouliot L., compared with antifungal agents in mycotic dermatoses

The antifungal activity in vitro of two essential oils of Medicinal Aromatic Plants (PAM's) (thyme and mint pouliot) and oleic acid was evaluated against 15 stumps of different species of isolated dermatophytes in a variety of dermatophytosis affections among different consultants at the children's hospital of Rabat including Trichophyton rubrum (5 isolates), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (4 isolates) and Microsporum canis (4 isolates), (Microsporum gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum were taken from our mycological collection) and 7 yeasts among which are 4 Candida albicans as well as 3 of Malassezia spp. This activity was compared with that of the griseofulvin, the ketoconazole, the isoconazole nitrate and the sulfate polymyxine B. MIC obtained in essential oil on agents responsible for mycoses are almost similar to those obtained with imidazoles. Oleic acid exerts fungistatic action on sensitive dermatophytes such as (T. rubrum, E. floccosum) with concentrations between 150-200 μg/ml. However, telluric and zoophilic dermatophytes are resistant. Yeasts are not inhibited by oleic acid. The polymyxine B exerts an important fungitoxic action on Malassezia spp. and several dermatophytes. For Candida albicans, sensitivity is variable. These results allow to foresee that in essential oil of MAP and oleic acid can constitute a valid alternative to antifungal agents in the fight against mycotic dermatoses. © 2007 Springer Verlag.