J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Feb 28;97(2):305-11. Epub 2005 Jan 5.

Anti-Candida activity of Brazilian medicinal plants.

Duarte MC1, Figueira GM, Sartoratto A, Rehder VL, Delarmelina C.

• 1Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture, State University of Campinas, P.O. Box 6171, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil. mduarte@cpqba.unicamp.br

Abstract

Essential oils and ethanolic extracts from the leaves and/or roots of 35 medicinal plants commonly used in Brazil were screened for anti-Candida albicans activity. The oils were obtained by water-distillation using a Clevenger-type system. Essential oils from 13 plants showed anti-Candida activity, including

• Aloysia triphylla,
• Anthemis nobilis,
• Cymbopogon martini,
• Cymbopogon winterianus,
• Cyperus articulatus,
• Cyperus rotundus,
• Lippia alba,
• Mentha arvensis,
• Mikania glomerata,
• Mentha piperita,
• Mentha sp.,
• Stachys byzantina, and
• Solidago chilensis.

The ethanol extract was not effective at any of the concentrations tested. Chemical analyses showed the presence of compounds with known antimicrobial activity, including 1,8-cineole, geranial, germacrene-D, limonene, linalool, and menthol.

PMID:  15707770