In-vitro antifungal effect of <i>Garcinia kola</i> and garlic (<i>Alliums sativum</i>) on vaginal isolates of <i>candida</i>

Abstract

Background/Objectives:Within the last decade there has been an emergence of antifungal drug resistance. Alliums sativum and Garcinia kola seeds were tested for their anticandidal properties in comparison with fluconazole and miconazole.
Methods: High Vaginal swab samples from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis were processed and identified to the species level by germ tube method, morphology on corn meal agar and sugar fermentation reactions. Methanol and aqueous extracts of Garcinia kola and Alliums sativum, as well as fluconazole and miconazole were tested in-vitro using the agar dilution method.
Results: One hundred and twenty six women with symptoms of  vulvovaginal candidiasis were sampled and Candida species were isolated from 25 of them. Candida spp. identified were C. albicans (44%), C. tropicalis (28%), C. glabrata (16%) and C. parapsilosis (12%). All species except C. glabrata were inhibited by fluconazole and miconazole, all isolates of the same species having same minimum inhibitory  concentrations (MICs). The highest MICs (25 mg/ml) with the alcoholic extracts were shown by C. albicans and C. glabrata and the lowest MICs (12.5 mg/ml) were shown by C parapsilosis and C tropicalis. All the isolates tested with Garcinia kola aqueous extract had a uniform MIC of 50 mg/ml, those tested with garlic aqueous extract had an MIC of 200 mg/ml. C. albicans and C. glabrata had MIC of 200 mg/ml of the alcoholic extract but C. tropicalis was inhibited at 25 mg/ml.
Conclusion: We found that Garcinia kola and Alliums ativum have activity against the vaginal Candida species isolated thus showing promise as alternative therapy for vaginal candidiasis.

Keywords: Alliums ativum, Candida spp, Garcinia kola, Minimum inhibitory concentrations