Antifungal activity of turmeric creams at different concentrations

Curcuma longa L. or turmeric of the family Zingiberaceae is widely used for treatment of rash, itching, tinea and ringworm. Turmeric oil possesses effective antifungal activity against dermatophytes, a group of fungi that causes skin diseases. The creams containing 6 and 10%w/w turmeric oil promoted effective antifungal activity with mild irritation¹. In this study, the 6 and 10%w/w turmeric creams stored for 6 months under 3 conditions i.e. in a refrigerator (4–8°C), at room temperature (25–28°C) and at 45°C were tested for their antifungal activities by broth dilution method for the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) compared to cream base and Daktarin® cream in solution form (0.07g/mL) as negative and positive controls, respectively against 4 dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, Epidermophyton floccosum and Microsporum gypseum). After 6 months of storage, 6%w/w turmeric cream kept at 4–8°C and 25–28°C showed stable antifungal activity while only 10%w/w turmeric cream stored under 4–8°C showed the stable activity. Six percent turmeric cream showed better antifungal activity than the 10%w/w cream and should be used for further clinical trial tested.

Reference

1. Pitakvongsaporn P. The study of antifungal activity stability and skin irritation of turmeric oil. M.Sc. Thesis, Mahidol University. Thailand, 2000.