Antifungal properties of carvone and linalool against Malassezia species: Preliminary Screening Study.

Background and purpose: By harnessing the power of nature, researchers can potentially discover new therapeutic options that are safe, effective, and sustainable for the management of diseases. Recently, natural products have been extensively studied for the treatment of diseases due to their diverse chemical composition and potential therapeutic properties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of carvone and linalool against Malassezia species to find alternative treatments for pityriasis versicolor.

Materials and methods: The in vitro antifungal activity of monoterpenes was assessed using a microdilution method, following the guidelines specified in the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute document M27-A3 with modifications, including the use of Christensen's urea broth supplemented with various lipids to optimize the growth condition for Malassezia.

Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration ranges for linalool and carvone were found to be 0.3-5.4 and 0.3-24 mg/mL, respectively. Additionally, the growth of Malassezia species was inhibited at concentrations of 0.001-0.003 and 0.006-0.1 mg/mL for amphotericin B and ketoconazole, respectively.

Conclusion: Given the remarkable antifungal properties exhibited by linalool and carvone against Malassezia species, these terpene compounds have the potential to be utilized for the treatment of Malassezia infections, provided that additional research is conducted.