Investigation of the antifungal activity of carvacrol against strains of Cryptococcus neoformans

Figures & data

Table 1. MIC results for amphotericin B and carvacrol against C. neoformans strains.

Strains	Control (micro-organisms)	Amphotericin B (μg/mL)	Carvacrol (μg/mL)
LM-05	+	0.62	25
FCF-102	+	0.5	32
FCF-119	+	0.62	40
ICB-59	+	0.5	40
JM-10	+	1	51
LM-39	+	0.79	51
ICB-2601	+	0.62	51
LM-120	+	0.5	64
LM-0310	+	0.5	64
LM-22	+	1	81

+: Presence of fungal growth. The MIC was determined by calculating the geometric mean.

Table 2. MFC results of carvacrol against C. neoformans strains.

Strains	Control (micro-organism)	Carvacrol (μg/mL)
LM-05	+	25
FCF-102	+	32
FCF-119	+	40
JM-10	+	51
ICB-2601	+	51
LM-120	+	64
LM-0310	+	64
ICB-59	+	80
LM-22	+	81
LM-308	+	102

+: Presence of fungal growth. The MIC was determined by calculating the geometric mean.

Table 3. Study of the effect of ergosterol on MIC against carvacrol C. neoformans LM-22, and C. neoformans FGF-102.

	C. neoformans LM-22				C. neoformans FCF-102
Carvacrol (μg/mL)	Absence of the ergosterol	Ergosterol 100 μg/mL	Ergosterol 200 μg/mL	Ergosterol 400 μg/mL	Absence of the ergosterol	Ergosterol 100 μg/mL	Ergosterol 200 μg/mL	Ergosterol 400 μg/mL
1024	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
512	–	–	–	+	–	–	–	–
256	–	–	–	+	–	–	–	–
128	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
64	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
32	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
16	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
8	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
4	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
2	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
1	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.5	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

+: Fungal growth; –: No fungal growth.

Table 4. Study of the effect of cholesterol on carvacrol’s MIC against C. neoformans LM-22 and C. neoformans FGF-102.

	C. neoformans LM-22				C. neoformans FCF-102
Carvacrol (μg/mL)	Absence of the Cholesterol	Cholesterol 100 μg/mL	Cholesterol 200 μg/mL	Cholesterol 400 μg/mL	Absence of the Cholesterol	Cholesterol 100 μg/mL	Cholesterol 200 μg/mL	Cholesterol 400 μg/mL
1024	–	–	–	+	–	–	–	+
512	–	–	–	+	–	–	–	+
256	–	+	+	+	–	–	–	+
128	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
64	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
32	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
16	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
8	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
4	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
2	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
1	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.5	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

+: Fungal growth; –: No fungal growth.

Table 5. Study of the effect of ergosterol on the MIC of amphotericin B against C. neoformans LM-22 and C. neoformans FGF-102.

	C. neoformans LM-22				C. neoformans FCF-102
Amphotericin B (μg/mL)	Absence of the ergosterol	Ergosterol 100 μg/mL	Ergosterol 200 μg/mL	Ergosterol 400 μg/mL	Absence of the ergosterol	Ergosterol 100 μg/mL	Ergosterol 200 μg/mL	Ergosterol 400 μg/mL
64	–	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
32	–	–	+	+	–	–	–	–
16	–	+	+	+	–	–	+	+
8	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
4	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
2	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
1	–	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
0.5	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
0.25	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.125	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.062	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.031	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

+: Fungal growth; –: No fungal growth.

Table 6. Study of the effect of cholesterol on the MIC of amphotericin B against C. neoformans LM-22 and C. neoformans FGF-102.

	C. neoformans LM-22				C. neoformans FCF-102
Amphotericin B (μg/mL)	Absence of the Cholesterol	Cholesterol 100 μg/mL	Cholesterol 200 μg/mL	Cholesterol 400 μg/mL	Absence of the Cholesterol	Cholesterol 100 μg/mL	Cholesterol 200 μg/mL	Cholesterol 400 μg/mL
64	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
32	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
16	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
8	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1	–	+	+	+	–	–	–	–
0.5	+	+	+	+	–	+	+	+
0.25	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.125	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.062	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+
0.031	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+

+: Fungal growth; –: No fungal growth.

Figure 1. Representation of carvacrol’s mechanism with its possible link to ergosterol.