Antifungal activity and synergism of <i>Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale</i>, and <i>Citrus limon peel</i> essential oils against <i>Tinea capitis</i>

Abstract

The burden of Tinea infections, common dermatologic fungal diseases remain high globally, especially in Africa. This is sustained mainly  by emergence of resistance to current antifungal drugs in use. Alternative treatment and preventive measures need to be sought in  order to eradicate these infections. Antifungal activity and synergism of garlic in combination with ginger and lemon peel essential oils  against Tinea capitis is assessed using inhibition assays. Ginger, lemons and garlic samples were randomly collected from Nakuru town  market in Nakuru County, Kenya. They were identified by a botanist and then extracted and, analyzed. Antifungal activity against Tinea  capitis and synergism among extracts was assessed by the disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC),  respectively. The average essential oil yield for ginger, lemon, and garlic was 22%, 20% and 16%, respectively. Ginger, lemon and garlic  essential oils depicted a comparable antifungal activity against Tinea capitis isolates (P value > 0.05). The combined essential oils  formulation of ginger, lemon and garlic showed the highest activity compared to single extracts (P > 0.05). The MIC for the combined  essential oils was 6.25 mg/ml. A combination of the three extracts act in synergy against the Tinea isolates. The rate of inhibition was  directly proportional to the concentration of the extracts. Ginger, lemon and garlic are sources of molecules that act in synergy in  controlling the Tinea spp infections. They can be leveraged to support the Ministry of health in achieving its universal healthcare goal.