The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, (CIMAP) Lucknow, has found that the plant essential oils and their constuent phytomolecules can provide not only aroma but also antifungal cosmetics, oral and hair care products due to synergistic effect with standard antifungal drugs.

CIMAP director AK Singh said, that in a recent study at CIMAP, that the plant compounds menthol and menthyl acetate, when mixed at specific concentrations, enhance the antifungal activity of the commercially available fungicides.

"This phenomena of the enhancement of the antifungal activity by the essential oil components at a very low concentration and specific ratios can revolutionize antifungal consumption and reduce the drug price in the market", Singh said. Toxicity of the antifungal drugs also reduced to the accepted levels of dosage along with enlargement of ant microbial spectrum of the drug and prevention of drug resistance. Based on this combination of active compounds several effective formulations were also developed.

Through a systematic bioprospection approach to identify bioactive natural products, essential oils from selected specific aromatic plants have found to have antifungal, cytostatic and insecticidal activities. Because of their significant anti-microbial activity coupled with pleasing flavour the essential oils and their components (pure molecules) can be used to treat microbial infections causing mycoses of skin, scalp and mouth cavity for general health care and body hygiene.

Skin constitutes the major part of the exposed part in the body. Natural remedies have been the most accepted and are relatively the safer means for treating fungal diseases since they are less likely to interfere with the beauty and attraction of the skin. Plants being an important source of anti microbial substances, can be used effectively for the treatment of skin diseases.

Beauticians and sin specialists are the first to realize the protective role of herbal products, as they are less toxic and believed to enhance the skin attractions. This is a method of treatment of fungal infections consisting of a synergistic combination of plant compounds useful for enhancing the activity of antifungal drugs in use.