In-vitro interaction of lemongrass essential oil alone and in combination with antifungal drugs against Trichophyton rubrum

Abstract

Dermatophytosis continues to be one of the most common superficial mycoses, affecting an estimated Twenty-five percent of the global population. Trichophyton rubrum is the leading causative fungus . Recently, interest has surged in  combining standard antifungal drugs with plant-derived oils to improve treatment outcomes. This study looked at how lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)  oil against T. rubrum in vitro individually and in combination with two antifungal agents . The oil alone clearly inhibited the fungal growth, clear zones of 7.6–20.5 mm were observed across the concentrations tested. Clotrimazole and terbinafine were also inhibitory with terbinafine producing larger clear zones, 10.8–39.1 mm. Terbinafine and the oil interacted in an additive not synergistic manner. Overall, the data suggest lemongrass oil as a useful adjunct to terbinafine for developing new topical treatments for infections caused by T. rubrum.