Antifungal Activity of Nigella sativa L. and Thymbra spicata L. Essential Oils against Tricophyton rubrum

In this study, we aimed to investigate components and the antifungal activity of Nigella sativa L. and Thymbra spicata L. essential oils against Tricophyton rubrum. Thirty-nine essential oil components, representing 99,69 %, were detected in the essential oil of Thymbra spicata L. The major essential oil constituents were carvacrol (58,32 %), γ-terpinene(28,53 %),o-cymene (5,20 %) and α-terpinene (2,03 %). Twenty-four essential oil components, representing 98,39 %, were detected in the essential oil of Nigella sativa L. The major essential oil constituents were anethole (22.97 %), thymoquinone (21.36 %), α-thujene (6.22 %), longifolene (5.76 %), trans-isoeugenol (3.55 %) and carvacrol (2.23 %). Antifungal activity of the essential oils of Nigella Sativa and Thymbra spicata was evaluated microdilution method. Fluconazole was selected as the standard antifungal drug. The activity of Nigella sativa L. and Thymbra spicata L. essential oils against T. rubrum was quite high. While Nigella sativa L. essential oils had MIC and MBC values of 1 and 2, Thymbra spicata L. essential oils were remarkable against T. rubrum. Thymbra spicata L. essential oils had the best MIC and MBC values (6.25 and 12.5 mg/ml). In our study, the efficacy of Thymbra spicata L. essential oils against Tricophyton rubrum was found higher. It seems that the essential oils of Nigella sativa L. and Thymbra spicata L. contain active components against rubrum, which is an important effect of superficial fungal infections.