Narrative review on essential oils versus traditional antifungal drugs for fungal infections

This is a narrative review examining the potential of essential oils (EOs) and their active compounds as alternatives or adjuncts to traditional antifungal drugs for fungal infections. The authors synthesize qualitative findings, noting that EOs and their compounds are described as more effective than traditional antifungal drugs and may minimize fungal resistance development.

The review argues that the efficacy of active compounds increases when combined with antifungal agents such as amphotericin B and fluconazole, and that drug toxicity decreases with such combinations. It also highlights that new manufacturing processes, including nano emulsions and natural deep eutectic solvents, can increase the stability of volatile compounds in EOs, as well as improve drug solubility and absorption.

The authors acknowledge limitations, including the narrative nature of the review and the lack of reported effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals for any outcomes. No specific study populations, sample sizes, or adverse event data are provided. Practice relevance is not reported, and the findings are presented as synthesized arguments rather than causal conclusions.

Given the absence of quantitative data and the review's design, the conclusions should be interpreted with caution. The potential benefits described are theoretical and require robust clinical trials for validation.