Evaluation of the Antifungal effects of various Extracts of the Aerial part and Root of Echium italicum on Candida albicans compared with two common antibiotics

Background: Candidiasis is the most common human infection in the world, and is considered a dangerous disease in people with a weak immune system because of their low resistance to antifungal drugs, the frequent recurrence of infections, and the known complications of chemical drugs. The antifungal properties of different parts of Echium italicum were compared with antibiotics for the first time. Materials and Methods: After collection, identification and drying, water, n-hexane and methanolic extracts from the air and root parts of the plant were prepared by soaking. The antifungal effects of different concentrations of extracts were studied by the disc diffusion method and determination of MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration of growth), MFC (minimum fungicidal concentration) by the microdilution method. The antibiotics nystatine and fluconazole were used as positive controls and DMSO as the negative control. Data was analyzed bythe t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results: The results showed that the aqueous, n-hexane and methanolic extracts of different parts of E. italicum plant exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The mean inhibitory diameter of growth of the methanolic and n-hexane extract in concentration of 5 mg / ml was higher than the nystatin antibiotic inhibitory diameter of growth for Candida albicans (P˂0.05). The lowest MIC and MFC was of the methanolic extract of the root of the plant for Candida albicans with a value of 15.62 μg / μl. Conclusion: Extracts of this plant can be used to treat Candida albicans infections.