Background: In recent years, microbial resistance to antimicrobial products have been a global concern of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Hence, this study aimed at comparing the antifungal potentials of some spectrum drugs and selected mushrooms against Candida species.
Methodology: A total of 150 High Vaginal Swab (HVS) samples were collected from female patients aged 10-60 years with a median age of 34.5 years. HVS were streaked on chocolate and sabouraud dextrose agar. Conventional antifungal drugs (fluconazole, nystatin and ketoconazole) and aqueous extracts of Agaricus bisporus, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes elegans were tested against the isolates.
Results: Candida spp had prevalence of 34.7% and it occurred mostly among women of age group 30-39 (57.7%). The respective proportion of C. species were 51.9% of C. albicans, 19.2% of C. glabrata, 15.4 of C. tropicalis and 13.5% of C. krusei.
Fluconazole had inhibition (81.5%) on Candida albicans while Nystatin and Ketaconazole had sensitivities of 87.5% and 100.0% effect on C. tropicalis. Of the mushroom extracts, Pleurotus ostreatus had effective inhibition on 70.0% of C. tropicalis isolates while C. glabrata had 70.0% and 60.0% susceptibility to Trametes elegans and Agaricus bisporus.
Conclusion: Mushroom spp extracts may possess fungicidal potency against specific Candida species.
Keywords: Vulvovaginal candidiasis, Candida species, Antifungal mushrooms