Evaluation of anti-enzyme properties of Origanum vulgare essential oil against oral Candida albicans

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-enzymatic activity of Origanum vulgare (oregano) essential oil against 15 strains of Candida albicans. Candida albicans samples were isolated from the oral mucosa of patients with denture stomatitis treated in a Dentistry school on a public university. Preparation of the inoculum was performed with a suspension of C. albicans reactivated 24 h earlier in 5 mL of sterile phosphate buffer saline (PBS) adjusted to a 0.5-turbidity on the MacFarland scale (1,5 × 108 UFC/mL). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type machine and analyzed by gas chromatography. Enzymatic assay was performed to test phospholipase anti-enzymatic properties. Chromatography analysis revealed that the main compounds present in the essential oil were 4-terpineol (41.17%), thymol (21.95%), γ-terpinene (5.91%) and carvacrol (4.71%). For the anti-enzymatic test, the statistical analysis showed that there was found statistically significant interactions between the factors time and concentration (P ≤ 0,001). Thus, essential oil of oregano at 1%, 5% and 10% presented significant reductions in the production of the phospholipase enzyme produced by Candida albicans strains. However, the longer the incubation time of the essential oil, there is a relatively moderate reduction in its anti-enzymatic activity.