Utilization of essential oil as natural antifungal against nail-infective fungi

During antifungal screening of some essential oils, Foeniculum vulgare exhibited the strongest activity, completely inhibiting the mycelial growth of the nail‐infective fungi, Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes and Scytalidium dimidiatum. The essential oil was found to be fungicidal at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.5 µl/ml concentrations. The oil was efficiently active against heavy doses of inoculum at minimum fungicidal concentrations. The fungicidal activity of the oil was found to be thermostable up to 80 °C, with no descramble decrease in activity after 48 months of storage. The oil also showed a broad fungitoxic spectrum, inhibiting the mycelial growth of other nail‐infective fungi, viz. Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. ustus, Candida albicans, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microporum audouinii, M. canis, M. gypseum, M. nanum, Rhizopus nigricans, Trichophyton tonsurans and T. violaceum. Moreover, it did not exhibit any adverse effects on mammalian skin and nails up to 5% concentration. As such, the oil has a potential use as an effective herbal chemotherapeutic after undergoing successful clinical trials. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.