Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil
The antifungal activity of the essential oil of Clinopodium chilense (Benth.) Govaerts was investigated against several strains of Candida spp. including clinical isolates and reference strains. Antifungal efficacy was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungi...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1634250/full |
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| author | Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Constanza Villarroel Evelyn Muñoz Karel Mena-Ulecia Karel Mena-Ulecia Valentina Silva Alejandro Madrid Alejandro Madrid |
| author_facet | Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Constanza Villarroel Evelyn Muñoz Karel Mena-Ulecia Karel Mena-Ulecia Valentina Silva Alejandro Madrid Alejandro Madrid |
| author_sort | Iván Montenegro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The antifungal activity of the essential oil of Clinopodium chilense (Benth.) Govaerts was investigated against several strains of Candida spp. including clinical isolates and reference strains. Antifungal efficacy was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). The chemical composition of the essential oil, characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), revealed pulegone (18.5%), thymol (11.0%), and isomenthone (10.0%) as the primary constituents. Clinopodium chilense essential oil (EO) demonstrated broad-spectrum anticandidal activity against all tested Candida spp., with MIC values ranging from 16 to 64 μg/mL and MFC values from 16 to 128 μg/mL. The EO exhibited potent fungicidal activity (MFC/MIC ratio ≤2) against several strains, notably Candida tropicalis (MIC and MFC of 16 μg/mL), and also showed efficacy against C. guilliermondii and C. lusitaniae. Among the major components, thymol generally displayed the lowest MIC values (32–64 μg/mL). Molecular docking studies further suggested thymol as a key contributor to the oil’s antifungal effect, showing strong binding affinities to C. albicans virulence proteins Als9-2 and the enzyme CYP51. Significantly, the essential oil outperformed amphotericin B against all tested clinical isolates. Overall, C. chilense EO exhibits significant fungistatic and fungicidal activity against pathogenic Candida species without affecting normal cell viability. These findings, supported by chemical characterization and in silico analysis of its major components like thymol, highlight its potential as a source of novel natural antifungal agents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c61bb6a06e24296821102c5ed93caee |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1663-9812 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c61bb6a06e24296821102c5ed93caee2025-08-20T03:50:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-07-011610.3389/fphar.2025.16342501634250Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oilIván Montenegro0Iván Montenegro1Iván Montenegro2Constanza Villarroel3Evelyn Muñoz4Karel Mena-Ulecia5Karel Mena-Ulecia6Valentina Silva7Alejandro Madrid8Alejandro Madrid9Center of Interdisciplinary Biomedical and Engineering Research for Health (MEDING), Escuela de Obstetricia y Puericultura, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, ChileLaboratorio de Productos Naturales y Síntesis Orgánica (LPNSO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChileMillennium Nucleus Bioproducts, Genomics and Environmental Microbiology (BioGEM), Valparaíso, ChileCenter of Interdisciplinary Biomedical and Engineering Research for Health (MEDING), Escuela de Obstetricia y Puericultura, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, ChileLaboratorio de Productos Naturales y Síntesis Orgánica (LPNSO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Químicas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, ChileNúcleo de Investigación en Bioproductos y Materiales Avanzados (BIOMA), Vicerectoría de Investigación y Postgtado, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, ChileLaboratorio de Productos Naturales y Síntesis Orgánica (LPNSO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChileLaboratorio de Productos Naturales y Síntesis Orgánica (LPNSO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, ChileMillennium Nucleus Bioproducts, Genomics and Environmental Microbiology (BioGEM), Valparaíso, ChileThe antifungal activity of the essential oil of Clinopodium chilense (Benth.) Govaerts was investigated against several strains of Candida spp. including clinical isolates and reference strains. Antifungal efficacy was evaluated by determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). The chemical composition of the essential oil, characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), revealed pulegone (18.5%), thymol (11.0%), and isomenthone (10.0%) as the primary constituents. Clinopodium chilense essential oil (EO) demonstrated broad-spectrum anticandidal activity against all tested Candida spp., with MIC values ranging from 16 to 64 μg/mL and MFC values from 16 to 128 μg/mL. The EO exhibited potent fungicidal activity (MFC/MIC ratio ≤2) against several strains, notably Candida tropicalis (MIC and MFC of 16 μg/mL), and also showed efficacy against C. guilliermondii and C. lusitaniae. Among the major components, thymol generally displayed the lowest MIC values (32–64 μg/mL). Molecular docking studies further suggested thymol as a key contributor to the oil’s antifungal effect, showing strong binding affinities to C. albicans virulence proteins Als9-2 and the enzyme CYP51. Significantly, the essential oil outperformed amphotericin B against all tested clinical isolates. Overall, C. chilense EO exhibits significant fungistatic and fungicidal activity against pathogenic Candida species without affecting normal cell viability. These findings, supported by chemical characterization and in silico analysis of its major components like thymol, highlight its potential as a source of novel natural antifungal agents.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1634250/fullClinopodium chilenseessential oilpulegonethymolCandida spp |
| spellingShingle | Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Iván Montenegro Constanza Villarroel Evelyn Muñoz Karel Mena-Ulecia Karel Mena-Ulecia Valentina Silva Alejandro Madrid Alejandro Madrid Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil Frontiers in Pharmacology Clinopodium chilense essential oil pulegone thymol Candida spp |
| title | Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| title_full | Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| title_fullStr | Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| title_short | Anticandidal activity of Clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| title_sort | anticandidal activity of clinopodium chilense essential oil |
| topic | Clinopodium chilense essential oil pulegone thymol Candida spp |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1634250/full |
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