ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY AND SYNERGISM OF Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale, AND Citrus limon peel ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST Tinea capitis

Abstract

The burden of Tinea infections, common dermatologic fungal diseases remains high globally, especially in Africa. This is sustained mainly by the emergence of resistance to current antifungal drugs in use. Alternative treatment and preventive measures need to be sought 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 the 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 were 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 acts 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 Tinea spp infections. They can be leveraged to support the Ministry of Health in achieving its universal healthcare goal.