A synergistic herbal formulation targeting Malassezia furfur and Staphylococcus epidermidis for effective dandruff management

Dandruff is a chronic scalp condition and the mildest form of seborrheic dermatitis, associated with microbial dysbiosis primarily involving <i>Malassezia furfur</i> and <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>. Conventional anti-dandruff treatments are often limited by recurrence and reliance on synthetic antifungal agents. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a synergistic, oil-based herbal formulation with antimicrobial activity against dandruff-causing microorganisms. <i>The herbal constituent, Eucalyptus citriodora (EC) oil, individually signifies its efficacy against key dandruff-causing microbes,</i> while <i>Centella asiatica</i> and <i>Wedelia trilobata</i> were included for their complementary bioactive and skin-healing properties. A total of three formulations (F1, F2, and F3), containing 8, 10, and 12% EC oil, respectively, were tested for antimicrobial efficacy. The optimized formulations (F2 and F3) exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, resulting in 1.8-1.9-fold and 2.0-2.5-fold reductions in <i>M. furfur</i> and <i>S. epidermidis</i> cell viability, respectively. Fluorescence-based LIVE/DEAD viability assays and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed membrane disruption and structural damage in the treated cells of <i>M. furfur</i>. In addition, molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated strong binding affinities of <i>Eucalyptus citriodora</i> oil constituents toward lanosterol 14α-demethylase (LDM), suggesting disruption of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway as a plausible antifungal mechanism. The obtained findings indicated that the formulated herbal combination exerts a multi-targeted antimicrobial effect and represents a promising natural alternative for controlling microbial populations involved in dandruff pathogenesis.