Investigating the Anti-fungal Activity of Different Concentrations of Aloe vera in Candida albicans Infection under In Vitro Conditions

Background and Objective: A variety of synthetic and chemical drugs have been established for the treatment of candidiasis, but each has some limitations and its probable side effects. This study attempts to touch upon the antifungal activity of different concentrations of hydroalcoholic extracts of Aloe vera against Candida albicans in in vitro conditions. Materials and Methods: Hydroalcoholic extract from Aloe vera leaves was tested for anti-fungal activity via an in vitro study. Anti-fungal activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined by the disk diffusion method. Aloe vera hydroalcoholic extracts (75%, 50%, 25%, and 12.5%) were used as test groups. The data were analyzed by ANOVA using SPSS 23 software. The level of statistical significance was set at p≤ 0.05. Results: The results revealed that Aloe vera contained substantial anti-fungal activity. There was a significant discrepancy in the mean diameter of the inhibition zone of C. albicans growth among different concentrations of Aloe vera (p-value=0.001). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the average diameter of the inhibition zone of C. albicans growth at a concentration of 12.5% of Aloe vera extract compared to concentrations of 25%, 50%, and 75% Aloe vera, and concentration of 50% with 25% and 75% extracts. Aloe vera extract at 75% concentration effectively inhibited the growth of C. albicans compared with the positive control-nystatin. In this study, Aloe vera concentration of 20% was determined as the MIC for C. albicans. Conclusion: In adherence to the present results, it seems that Aloe vera extract, which is inexpensive and has no side effects, could be introduced as an alternative to nystatin.