ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF ORIGANUM-VULGARE SUBSP HIRTUM, MENTHA-SPICATA, LAVANDULA-ANGUSTIFOLIA, AND SALVIA-FRUTICOSA ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINSTHUMAN PATHOGENIC FUNGI

The essential oils of Origanum vulgare subsp, hirtum, Mentha spicata, Lavandula angustifolia, and Salvia fruticosa exhibited antifungal prop erties against the human pathogens Malassezia furfur, Trichophyton rub rum, and Trichosporon beigelii. Of the four oils, O. vulgare subsp. hi rtum oil showed the highest fungicidal activity and at a dilution of 1 /50000 caused a 95% reduction in the number of metabolically active ce lls within 6 h of exposure. Among the main components of the four oils , carvacrol and thymol exhibited the highest levels of antifungal acti vity. The therapeutic efficacy of the O. vulgare subsp. hirtum essenti al oil was tested in rats experimentally infected with T. rubrum and y ielded promising results. Furthermore, the above essential oils were t ested with the Ames test and did not exhibit any mutagenic activity.