Essential oils may be key to treating fungal infections

By Krista Baliko Posted: August 18, 2017 6:00 a.m.

(l to r) Dr. Tanya Dahms, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, research associate Dr. Taranum Sultana and Zinnat Shahina, PhD student in chemistry and biochemistry, in a U of R lab.
(l to r) Dr. Tanya Dahms, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, research associate Dr. Taranum Sultana and Zinnat Shahina, PhD student in chemistry and biochemistry, in a U of R lab. Photo: U of R Photography

Zinnat Shahina says she is hopeful that one day her research will help HIV and cancer patients overcome their vulnerability to fungal infections.

“I grew up in Bangladesh where the abundance of medicinal plants means that we reach for natural remedies before pharmaceuticals,” says Shahina, a University of Regina PhD student in chemistry and biochemistry.

Working with her advisor, Dr. Tanya Dahms, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, along with research associate Dr. Taranum Sultana, Shahina is putting cinnamon bark, cinnamon leaf, clove and rosemary oil under the microscope to see how they work against Candida, a common opportunistic pathogen that causes fungal infections.

“By comparing and combining each herb and spice’s essential oils, our research team is seeking to find out which constituents inhibit virulence and cell division in fungal infections,” says Shahina.

The end goal is to determine if these natural products can be used instead of, or in combination with, antifungal drugs.

Every day fungi grow more resistant to pharmaceuticals and so, says Shahina, this research could be a game-changer, especially for those susceptible to fungal infections.

“Through science we are trying to provide evidence for something that many people have known for generations – essential oils work.”

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