Tarbiat Modares University Infection Epidemiology and Microbiology 2588-4107 8 4 2022 12 01 Evaluation of the Synergistic Interaction between Satureja hortensis and Carum carvi Essential Oils and Fluconazole against Candida albicans: In Vitro 327 335 1902 10.52547/iem.8.4.327 EN Yasaman Karbalaei Dentist, School of Dentistry, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Saeid Amanloo Assistant Professor, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Neda Gholami Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Alireza Yazdinezhad Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran Journal Article <span><strong><span>Backgrounds</span></strong><span>: </span><span>Nowadays, excessive use of fungal drugs has led to the development of drug-resistant fungi, making it necessary to find natural and herbal antifungal agents. This in-vitro study aimed to evaluate the interactions of Satureja hortensis and Carum carvi essential oils together and each essential oil with fluconazole against Candida albicans ATCC-10231. </span><br> <span><strong><span>Materials & Methods</span></strong><span>: </span><span>In this study, antifungal properties of different concentrations of S. hortensis (0.0244-1.56 μL/mL) and C. carvi (0.39-25 μL/mL) were investigated by broth-microdilution method based </span><span>on CLSI M27-A3 and M27-S4 standard</span><span> documents. The interactions of essential oils together and each essential oil with fluconazole were evaluated by checkerboard assay. </span><span>Then using the </span><span>ΣFIC</span><span> index, the interaction results were interpreted.</span> <br> <span><strong><span>Findings: </span></strong><span>S. hortensis</span><span> essential oil showed higher antifungal activity than C. carvi essential oil. (MIC/MFC: S. hortensis: 1.56/3.12 μL/mL and C. carvi: 12.5/25 μL/mL). The interaction between S. hortensis essential oil and fluconazole was on the synergic and additive borderline (FICI=0.508), the interaction between C. carvi essential oil and fluconazole was additive (FICI=0.62), and C. carvi and S. hortensis essential oils showed no interaction together (FICI=2.015). </span><br> <span><strong><span>Conclusion</span></strong><span>: </span><span>The essential oils of S. hortensis and C. carvi separately exhibited powerful antifungal activities.</span> <span>The use of S. hortensis essential oil at a very low concentration along with fluconazole caused an interaction very close to synergy and increased fluconazole antifungal activity.</span><span> Therefore, </span><span>S. hortensis</span><span> is a potential candidate for combined use with fluconazole to treat C. albicans related diseases.</span> https://iem.modares.ac.ir/article_1902_fc4ddc15f9f4b4b06ef7844d6bb53abf.pdf