SYNERGISTIC ANTICANDIDAL AND ANTIBIOFILM ACTIVITY OF MORINGA OLEIFERA METHANOLIC EXTRACT IN COMBINATION WITH FLUCONAZOLE AGAINST CANDIDA GLABRATA

Candida glabrata is an opportunistic fungal pathogen associated with increasing antifungal resistance and biofilm-mediated persistence, limiting the effectiveness of conventional therapies. The present study investigated the anticandidal and antibiofilm activities of selected medicinal plant extracts against C. glabrata, with particular emphasis on the methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera, individually and in combination with fluconazole. Following isolation and physiological characterization of the fungal isolate, antifungal activity was evaluated using agar well diffusion, broth microdilution, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), biofilm inhibition and eradication assays, MTT cell viability assay, and growth kinetics. Phytochemical characterization was performed using qualitative screening, thin-layer chromatography, column chromatography, and SDS–PAGE analysis. Among the tested plant extracts, M. oleifera exhibited the strongest anticandidal activity. Combination treatment with M. oleifera and fluconazole produced enhanced antifungal efficacy, extending inhibitory activity to higher dilutions in the MIC assay and achieving greater biofilm eradication (36%), antibiofilm inhibition (45%), and reduction in fungal cell viability (43%) than either treatment alone. Time-kill and growth kinetics studies further demonstrated sustained inhibition of fungal growth following combination treatment. Phytochemical analyses confirmed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, and other bioactive constituents that may contribute to the observed biological activity. Statistical analysis of triplicate experiments confirmed the reproducibility of the experimental findings (P < 0.05). Collectively, these results demonstrate that M. oleifera methanolic extract potentiates the antifungal activity of fluconazole and represents a promising natural adjunct for the management of biofilm-associated C. glabrata infections.