Antifungal effect of Crescentia cujete fruit extracts on clinical strains of Candida albicans

Candidiasis is a common fungal infection globally, ranging from superficial to severe invasive forms that can be life-threatening. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effects of ethanol and n-hexane extracts from Crescentia cujete fruit against Candida albicans strains. Crescentia cujete fruit pulp was dried and extracted using Soxhlet with ethanol and n-hexane. Two reference strains of C. albicans (ATCC 10231 and 90028) and 12 clinical isolates from vaginal smears were tested under various conditions: without extract, with serial dilutions of ethanol or n-hexane extracts, and with ethanol and n-hexane at the same concentrations. Growth was measured using MicroELISA equipment. Results showed that n-hexane and ethanol extracts significantly reduced the growth of 9/12 and 4/12 clinical strains, respectively, and also affected the ATCC 90028 and ATCC 10231 strains. A direct correlation was observed between growth inhibition and extract concentration, with n-hexane exhibiting a stronger correlation (Spearman's Rho=0.609, p<0.05) compared to ethanol (Spearman's Rho=0.387, p<0.05). This study is the first to demonstrate the antifungal effects of Crescentia cujete fruit extracts on clinical Candida albicans strains, suggesting that a low-polarity compound in the fruit inhibits Candida albicans, including the ATCC 1031 strain resistant to common antifungals.