Antifungal Effect of Carrot Carotenoids on Candida Species

Background: Candidiasis is a serious problem in women's health that is caused by Candida species, especially Candida albicans. In this study, the effect of carotenoids in carrot extracts on Candida species including Candida albicans ATCC1677, Candida glabrata CBS2175, Candida parapsilosis ATCC2195, and Candida tropicalis CBS94 was investigated. Methods: In this descriptive study, the carrot plant was prepared from a carrot planting site in December 2012, and then the characteristics of the plant were determined. After extracting carotenoids from carrots, the susceptibility of different Candida species to carotenoids in carrot extract was determined. Also, the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum lethal concentration of the extracts were measured by the macro-dilution method. Finally, the data were analyzed by SPSS software using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney post-hoc test with Bonferroni adjustment. Results: The highest growth inhibition zone was obtained for carrot extract at a concentration of 500 mg/ml for C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. The MFC of carrot extract on Candida species was 62.5 mg/ml for C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis, and 125 mg/ml for C. tropicalis. The MFC of carrot extract on Candida species was 125 mg/ml for C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. parapsilosis, and 250 mg/ml for C. tropicalis. Conclusion: The present study can be the starting point for research activities in this direction and promises new therapies based on the use of carotenoids.