THE EFFECT OF ESSENTIAL OILS ON THE VIABILITY AND ADHESIVE PROPERTIES OF CLINICAL STRAINS OF CANDIDA ALBICANS AND CANDIDA GLABRATA OBTAINED FROM PATIENTS WITH PHARYNGOMYCOSIS

Aim. To investigate the antifungal and anti-adhesive activities of Monarda fistulosa essential oil and cinnamon essential oil on clinical strains of fungi of the genus Candida obtained from patients with pharyngomycosis. Materials and methods. The object of the study was essential oil of Monarda fistulosa and essential oil of cinnamon, the subject of the study was clinical strains of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata isolated from patients with pharyngomycosis. Antifungal effect of essential oils was determined by micromethod of serial dilutions with determination of minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration according to the recommendations of International Standards Organisation. The viability of micromycetes was determined by crossing the suspension from the test and control wells on Sabouraud dense nutrient medium with subsequent determination of colony-forming units/ml. Adhesion of Candida fungi was determined according to the method of Brilis V. I. and co-authors. Results. Our studies proved the antifungal effect of essential oil of Monarda fistulosa and essential oil of cinnamon on the studied clinical strains of Candida fungi. The range of subinhibitory concentrations of essential oils that inhibited the viability and adhesive activity of clinical strains of C. albicans and C. glabrata was established. Under the conditions of our experiment, the greatest suppressive ability of subinhibitory concentrations affecting the biological properties of Candida spp. was demonstrated by essential oil of Monarda fistulosa. Conclusions. The antifungal effect of essential oils on clinical strains of micromycetes differed in the strength of effect. The maximum expression of antimycotic effect was demonstrated by the essential oil of Monarda fistulosa. Under the conditions of action of subinhibitory samples of essential oil of Monarda fistulosa and cinnamon essential oil, the viability indices of Candida spp. were significantly lower than those of the culture control, which was not exposed to the action of essential oils. Clinical strains of C. albicans and C. glabratа isolated from patients with pharyngomycosis were characterised by medium-adhesive and low-adhesive activity, respectively. Essential oils in subinhibitory concentrations led to inhibition of the adhesive potential of the studied Candida spp isolates, namely, there was a decrease in the adhesive activity of C. albicans strains from the category of ‘medium-adhesive’ to the category of ‘non-adhesive’ and ‘low-adhesive’, and of C. glabrata isolates – from the category of ‘low-adhesive’ to the category of ‘non-adhesive’.