The Use of Essential Oils and Their Isolated Compounds for the Treatment of Oral Candidiasis: A Literature Review

Elba Dos Santos Ferreira; Pedro Luiz Rosalen; Bruna Benso; Janaina de Cássia Orlandi Sardi; Carina Denny; Simone Alves de Sousa; Felipe Queiroga Sarmento Guerra; Edeltrudes de Oliveira Lima; Irlan Almeida Freires; Ricardo Dias de Castro

doi:10.1155/2021/1059274

The Use of Essential Oils and Their Isolated Compounds for the Treatment of Oral Candidiasis: A Literature Review

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Jan 7:2021:1059274. doi: 10.1155/2021/1059274. eCollection 2021.

Affiliations

¹ Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-970, PB, Brazil.
² Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
³ Department of Physiological Sciences, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
⁴ Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pioneiros 79070-900, MS, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Clinical and Social Dentistry, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
⁶ Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Clinical and Social Dentistry, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.

Abstract

In this literature review, we present the main scientific findings on the antifungal activity of essential oils (EOs) applicable for a new drug formulation to treat oral candidiasis. Seven literature databases were systematically searched for eligible in vitro and clinical trials. Selected articles were screened for biological activity, botanical species, phytochemical composition, study design, and methodological quality. A total of 26 articles were included in the review, of which 21 were in vitro studies and 5 clinical trials. The most promising EOs were obtained from Allium tubeorosum, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Coriandrum sativum L. Among the phytochemicals, citral and thymol were the most active. Clinical trials indicated that the EOs from Pelargonium graveolens and Zataria multiflora are potentially effective to treat oral candidiasis. Further nonclinical and clinical studies with these EO are warranted to determine their potential use and safety for the treatment of oral candidiasis.

Publication types

Review