Anti FungalThe inhibitory effects of 10 selected Turkish spices, including oregano, towards growth of 9 food borne fungi were investigated. Of the spices tested, only oregano showed effect on all fungi. Oregano essential oil and it’s ingredients thymol and carvacrol at concentrations of 0.025% and 0.05% completely inhibited the growth of all fungi.
The oil of oregano is a potent inhibitor of yeast, including Candida albicans. Studies conducted by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., have shown that the wild, mountain-grown oregano is an excellent anti-fungal agent, completely killing Candida albicans.
Some essential oils and their main constituents were evaluated in-vitro against a strain of Candida albicans. The essential oil of Origanum vulgare was one of 5 oils that showed maximum inhibitory activity against Candida albicans after 7 days.
Ref:
Tampieri MP, Galuppi R, Macchioni F, Carelle MS, Falcioni L, Cioni PL, Morelli I. The inhibition of Candida albicans by selected essential oils and their major components. Mycopathologia. 2005 Apr;159(3):339-45. PMID: 15883716.
Stiles JC et al. The inhibition of Candida albicans by oregano, J Applied Nutr 1995; 47:96-102.
Carvacrol and thymol show strong fungicidal effect against all of the Candida isolates. The mechanisms of action of these natural isopropyl cresols appear to originate from the inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis and the disruption of membrane integrity. Negligible cytoxicity was observed for the same compounds.
Ref:
Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20835742