Formulation and Development of a Herbal Antifungal Gel Containing Origanum vulgare and Syzygium aromaticum Essential Oils Against Oral Candida albicans.

Background Oral candidiasis is the most prevalent oral fungal infection, and existing antifungal agents have side effects such as drug intolerance, resistance, and toxicity. Herbal essential oils are emerging as an alternative therapeutic approach for treating fungal infections (), commonly known as oregano, and (), commonly known as clove, are known to have antifungal properties and are effective against fluconazole-resistant strains. A combination of essential oils has a synergistic effect and aids in achieving effective antifungal activity at sufficiently low concentrations, which could lead to reduced side effects and resistance. Aim of the study This study aimed to formulate and develop an herbal antifungal gel containing and and evaluate its synergistic antifungal efficacy against oral  ( Methodology Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) determinations of and essential oils were performed individually and in combination to assess the antifungal activity against Based on the obtained MIC and MFC of essential oils in combination an herbal antifungal gel was formulated. Further, to determine the biocompatible nature of the gel, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed. Results We found that a combination of and essential oils showed antifungal activity at a lesser concentration, with a MIC of 0.19 l/ml and MFC of 0.39 l/ml when compared to their individual concentrations. Based on our results, an antifungal herbal gel comprising a concentration of 0.6 l/ml of both essential oils was developed to achieve synergistic antifungal activity against oral The MTT assay of the herbal gel did not show any cytotoxicity. Conclusion The novel herbal antifungal gel containing and is biocompatible in nature and provides an alternative therapeutic approach for treating oral candidiasis.