In vitro antifungal activity of selected plant extracts against Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum

Superficial fungal infections caused by Candida species and dermatophytes remain frequent clinical problems, increasing the interest in medicinal plants as potential sources of antifungal agents. This study evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity of extracts from Allium sativum L., Lawsonia inermis L., Pinus halepensis, and Olea europaea L. against Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum. Crude, oily, aqueous, and hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared according to the plant material and extraction suitability. Antifungal activity against C. albicans was assessed using the disk diffusion method, while dermatophyte inhibition was evaluated by an agar surface exposure method. The most important result was obtained with crude garlic extract, which produced the strongest inhibition against C. albicans, with a 70 mm inhibition zone. Oily garlic extract also showed significant activity, with a 32 mm inhibition zone. In contrast, hydroalcoholic henna extract showed only moderate activity against C. albicans, and hydroalcoholic P. halepensis bark extract showed weak activity. Aqueous olive leaf extract, aqueous P. halepensis extract, and oily P. halepensis extract showed no detectable inhibition. Against M. canis and T. rubrum, both crude and oily garlic extracts completely inhibited visible fungal growth, whereas hydroalcoholic henna extract was inactive. These findings highlight A. sativum as the most promising plant tested, with marked antifungal activity against both yeast and dermatophyte models. However, further studies using minimum inhibitory concentration assays, chemical profiling, extract standardization, and cytotoxicity testing are required before any therapeutic or pharmaceutical application can be proposed.