Development and Evaluation of Antifungal Gel from Garlic Powder

Introduction: Garlic has long been recognized for its antifungal properties, but could not find strong place in formulation and development due to the unstable nature of allicin, a sulfur-rich compound present in garlic, referred to as di-allyl thiosulfinate, plays a key role in inhibiting fungal growth. Objectives: Purpose of the study was to use microwave-processed garlic powder in formulation and development of multipurpose antifungal gel using carbopol as a gelling polymer. Materials and Methods: Antifungal Susceptibility testing was performed as per CLSI guidelines using processed garlic powder against Candida albicans (MTCC 277) and Malassezia furfur (MTCC No-1374) as prominent species involved in fungal infections of hair, skin and vagina. Carbopol 934 was used to develop and optimize the gel formulations. A skin irritation assessment was conducted using the HET-CAM test method. Results and Discussion: The antifungal activity of gel was observed for 24, 48, 72 hours and further observations were continued for seven days’ period and effective concentration was identified, wherein formulation prepared with 1% concentration of garlic powder was found to be prominently effective. The results from the HET-CAM test confirmed the non-irritating properties of the formulated product. In the positive control, coagulation occurred within 0.5 seconds of application, while no such reaction was observed with the developed antifungal gel formulation, indicating its lack of irritancy. Conclusion: The developed antifungal gel formulation using microwave-processed garlic powder was found to be stable and effective for longer with no skin irritation observed.