Anti-Candida activity of medicinal plants. A review

Abstract

Due to the increasing development of drug resistance in human pathogens as well as the appearance of undesirable effect of certain antimicrobial agents, there is a need to search for new antifungal agents without toxicity and side effects. Although a large number of antimicrobial agents have been discovered, pathogenic microorganisms are constantly developing resistance to these agents. Therefore it is necessary to search for more effective and less toxic novel antifungal agents that would overcome these disadvantages. C. albicans is notorious for causing candidiasis. In order to alleviate the problem of reduced availability of drugs needed to treat candidiasis, traditional medicine derived from plants are still being used in different parts of the world. Hence, the present review is a compilation of updated information on plants with anti-Candida properties.