In Vitro Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Allicin-Loaded β-Cyclodextrin Nanosponges

Abstract

Allicin, a bioactive sulfur-containing compound derived from garlic (Allium sativum L.), possesses promising antifungal activity but its pharmaceutical application is limited by chemical instability. The present study aimed to develop allicin-loaded β-cyclodextrin nanosponges and evaluate their in-vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Allicin-loaded nanosponges were prepared by the emulsion solvent diffusion technique using ethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, and Pluronic F68. The optimized formulation, PF7, containing 24.32 mg allicin, 500 mg ethyl cellulose, 900 mg polyvinyl alcohol, and 200 mg Pluronic F68, was evaluated by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and time-kill assays. PF7 exhibited a zone of inhibition of 21.8 ± 0.8 mm compared with 14.2 ± 0.6 mm for free allicin and 24.6 ± 0.5 mm for the standard antifungal. The MIC of PF7 was 62.5 µg/mL, representing a two-fold reduction compared with free allicin (125 µg/mL). In the time-kill study, PF7 produced a 5.20-log10 reduction in viable fungal count after 24 h, compared with 3.40-log10 reduction for free allicin. Thus, nanosponge incorporation enhanced the in-vitro antifungal performance of allicin and represents a promising approach for improving its delivery and efficacy against C. albicans under tested conditions.