Anticandidosic Activity and Acute Toxicity of Quercus Suber L. Bark Extracts

Abstract

The cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is commonly used in traditional pharmacopoeia. The main objective of this work is to contribute to the valorization of this plant species through the study of the anticandidosic activity of cork oak (Quercus suber) bark extracts stemming from decoction, maceration and Soxhlet methods of extraction. The anticandidosic potential of the elaborated extracts was tested on five different Candida albicans strains. Our results showed that all tested extracts tested displayed an inhibitive activity against the five strains. The study of the acute toxicity showed that the lethal dose is 1150 mg/kg in mice, which remained moderately toxic according to Hodge and Sterner classification scale. Taken together, these results underline the antifungal potential of cork oak bark extracts against Candida albicans strains, suggesting a prospective use of these extracts for candidiasis treatment.