Antifungal Properties of Dracaena cinnabari Resin Extracts Against Candida albicans

Rola Ali-Saeed¹*^, Aied M. Alabsi², Siti Sufiah Shaherah binti Zainudin¹, Nur Nadhirah binti Harun¹, Lee Min Quan¹, Siddig Ibrahim abdelwahab³, Antony V Samrot ⁴, Vetriselvan Subramaniyan⁵, Ismail, Muhamad Fareez⁶

This study determined Dracaena cinnabari's resin as a promising natural antifungal agent against Candida albicans, particularly in oral candidiasis.

Abstract

Background: Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal pathogen in humans, capable of causing a range of clinical infections from mucocutaneous conditions like oral thrush to life-threatening systemic diseases. While Candida species are typically part of the normal oral flora in about 75% of the global population, the rising resistance to antifungal drugs has become a significant concern. This highlights the urgent need to explore alternative antimicrobial agents, including natural phytochemicals derived from plants, as potential substitutes for synthetic chemicals to address the growing issue of antifungal resistance. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal properties of Dracaena cinnabari resin extracts (methanol and water) against Candida albicans. The antifungal activity was assessed using the direct contact agar diffusion test, while the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts was determined through the broth dilution method. Results: The antifungal susceptibility tests demonstrated that C. albicans was susceptible to both methanol and water extracts of D. cinnabari resin, with zones of inhibition measuring 32.2 ± 0.8 mm and 29.0 ± 1.1 mm, respectively. The MIC values ranged between 2.50 and 5.00 mg/mL for both extracts. Conclusion: The antifungal effectiveness of D. cinnabari resin extracts was comparable to that of the miconazole control, showing significant potential as a natural treatment option against Candida albicans. These findings suggest that Dracaena cinnabari resin could play a valuable role in the treatment and management of candidiasis, particularly oral candidiasis.

Keywords: Dracaena cinnabari, Candida albicans, Antifungal resistance, Natural products, Oral candidiasis

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