Abstract
The variety and frequency of fungal infections have increased greatly over the past three decades because of changes within medical care. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a fungal yeast species that forms part of the normal human microbiota, without producing symptoms or disease; however, due to the opportunistic nature of this pathogen, candidiasis infections are common in susceptible individuals. Candida species have been associated with the emergence of resistant strains towards selected antifungal agents. Plant products have been used traditionally as complementary medicines to treat Candida infections.
Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) and Echinacea angustifolia (E. angustifolia) are medicinal plants with known antifungal properties. In vitro studies have demonstrated antifungal effects of C. officinalis and E. angustifolia. Limited research exists on the efficacy of these tinctures in combination on Candida.
The aim of this study was to determine the synergistic effect of C. officinalis and E. angustifolia Ø in combination on Candida strains including C. albicans.
This quantitative in-vitro study was conducted at the University of Johannesburg, Water and Health Research Centre (WHRC) under the supervision of a suitably qualified laboratory technician once permission was granted. The antibacterial activity of a combination of homeopathic C. officinalis Ø and E. angustifolia Ø was tested on Candida strains (n= 25) using the 96 well plate Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) method. Ethanol (64% v/v) and an antibiotic fluconazole were used as controls for this experiment. The tests were done in triplicate to ensure the repeatability and reproducibility of the experiments.
The results demonstrated that the C. officinalis and E. angustifolia Ø combination inhibited growth of C. albicans and other Candida spp., by means of the MIC method. When comparing the effects of the homeopathic Ø complex to the controls, ethanol 64% and antibiotic, it was evident from the results obtained that the homeopathic tincture and fluconazole both had an influence on inhibition Candida spp. to varying degree, depending on the specific strain and time interval of strain growth. The homeopathic tincture had a greater fungal inhibition than the solvent irrespective of the ethanol percentage. Further research is therefore warranted to confirm this.