COMPARING THE ANTI-CANDIDA ALBICANS EFFECT OF ZINGIBER OFFICINALE WITH COMMON ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is considered one of the most opportunistic fungal agents
and the most common cause of fungal diseases that causes candidiasis in humans and manifests in different clinical forms ranging from simple superficial infection to severe systemic. The study aimed to investigate the inhibitory and lethal effects of Zingiber officinale (Z. officinale) ethanolic extract and common antifungal chemical drugs on C. albicans. Ethanol extract of Z. officinale was prepared at 2 to 20 mg/ml concentrations. Using the microbroth dilution method, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of the extract and chemical antifungal drugs were determined. The disk diffusion method and Sabourud Dextrose Agar culture medium were used to evaluate the inhibition zone diameters. The results showed that with the increase in the concentration of the ethanolic extract of Z. officinale, the inhibition
rate of C. albicans increased. Ketoconazole had the highest anti-C. albicans effects. The ginger extract at 20 mg/ml concentration had a higher anti-Candida inhibitory activity than nystatin and fluconazole. It was comparable to amphotericin. The current results revealed that the ethanolic extract of Z. officinale had a growth-inhibitory impact on C. albicans and can be used as a safe antifungal therapy.