Antifungal Activity of Ginger Extract on Candida Albicans: An In-vitro Study

Plant derived products have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In traditional Indian medicine or Ayurveda, Zingiber officinale and many other herbs have been used as medicine. Traditional uses of plants have led to investigating their bioactive compounds, which have resulted in the detection of a significant number of therapeutic properties. Aim of the study: The present study was carried out to assess the effect of ethanolic extract of ginger on candida albicans in vitro. The shunti Choorna (ginger powder) was procured from commercial source (S.N.Pandit and sons, Mysore). The antifungal activity of the agent was tested in the following dilution range1g, 2g, 4g of shunti choorna in 99.9% ethanol. Ginger paste at room temperature showed inhibition zone better than ethanol alone, but cold ethanolic ginger extract showed the maximum inhibition zone at 24 hrs. The present study showed that the ethanolic extract of ginger powder has pronounced inhibitory activities against Candida albicans. From the obtained results it can be concluded that although ethanol in itself has antifungal activity, ethanolic extract of ginger has a synergistic activity.