SCREENING OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS EXTRACTS FOR THE SYNERGISM WITH FLUCONAZOLE AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS AND CANDIDA TROPICALIS FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH DENTURE STOMATITIS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To conduct a primary screening of the ability of aqueous-ethanol extracts of medicinal plants to enhance the effect of fluconazole against resistant strains of Candida sp. associated with denture stomatitis, to justify the potential use of combined antifungal therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: 40 biochemical tests using the VITEK 2 system with the use of VITEK 2 YST ID card (Biomerieux, France). The computer programs UTHSCSA ImageTool 2.0 and Microsoft Office Excel 2003 were used for statistical processing of the results. RESULTS: Results: 114 extracts out of 166 studied ones (68.7 « 0.28%) showed direct antifungal activity in relation to C. tropicalis strain, 74 extracts (44.6 « 0.30%) turned out to be highly active (d IZ > 10 mm). Only 50 extracts out of 166 studied ones (30.1 « 0.28%) showed antifungal activity against C. albicans strain, 26 extracts (15.7 « 0.22%) were highly active (d IZ > 10 mm). Significant direct antifungal activity both against C. albicans strain and C. tropicalis strain was demonstrated by the extracts of the leaves of Sophora japonica, thallus of Mnium cuspidatum Hedw. (M.silvaticum Lindb.), herbs of Euphorbia amygdaloides L., Lathyrus niger (L.) Bernh., Betonica officinalis L. s. l., flowers of Primula officinalis Hill., roots of Scrophularia nodosa L. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: 1. Aqueous-ethanolic extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants of Ukrainian flora have direct antifungal activity against azole resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis (44,6«0,30% and 15,7«0,22% of tested extracts respectively) associated with denture stomatitis as well restore their sensitivity to fluconazole (44,6«0,30% and 15,7«0,22% of extracts respectively).