Antifungal activity of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil and its constituent phytochemicals against Rhizopus oryzae: interaction with ergosterol

Mucormycoses are emerging infections that have high rates of morbidity and mortality. They show high resistance to antifungal agents, and there is a limited therapeutic arsenal currently available, therefore, there is a great need to give priority to testing therapeutic agents for the treatment of m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2012-12, Vol.17 (12), p.14418-14433
Main Authors: de Lira Mota, Kelly Samara, de Oliveira Pereira, Fillipe, de Oliveira, Wylly Araújo, Lima, Igara Oliveira, de Oliveira Lima, Edeltrudes
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
antifungal activity
Antifungal agents
Antifungal Agents - pharmacology
Cymenes
Ergosterol - metabolism
essential oils
Fungal infections
Fungi
Investigations
Lipids
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Microorganisms
Monoterpenes - pharmacology
Morbidity
Mortality
Natural products
Nosocomial infections
Oils & fats
Oils, Volatile - pharmacology
Pathogens
Permeability
Phytochemicals
Plant Oils - pharmacology
Rhizopus - drug effects
Rhizopus - growth & development
Rhizopus oryzae
thymol
Thymol - pharmacology
Thymus Plant - chemistry
Thymus vulgaris
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Summary:Mucormycoses are emerging infections that have high rates of morbidity and mortality. They show high resistance to antifungal agents, and there is a limited therapeutic arsenal currently available, therefore, there is a great need to give priority to testing therapeutic agents for the treatment of mucormycosis. Along this line, the use of essential oils and phytoconstituents has been emphasized as a new therapeutic approach. The objective of this work was to investigate the antifungal activity of the essential oil (EO) of Thymus vulgaris, and its constituents thymol and p-cymene against Rhizopus oryzae, through microbiological screening, determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFCs), effects on mycelial growth and germination of sporangiospores and interaction with ergosterol. The MIC of EO and thymol varied 128-512 µg/mL, but the MFC of EO and thymol varied 512-1024 µg/mL and 128-1024 µg/mL, respectively. The results also showed that EO and thymol significantly inhibited mycelial development and germination of sporangiospores. Investigation of the mechanism of antifungal action showed that EO and thymol interact with ergosterol. These data indicate that EO of T. vulgaris and thymol possess strong antifungal activity, which can be related to their interaction with ergosterol, supporting the possible use of these products in the treatment of mucormycosis.
ISSN:1420-3049
1420-3049
DOI:10.3390/molecules171214418