Revisiting the in-vitro Assays for Antifungal Evaluation of Natural Products

Background: Due to the ever increasing burden of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human fungi, phytotherapeutic research has gained prominence nowadays. Traditional medicines derived from natural products constitute an important source of new drugs due to their low side effects and minimal drug resistance issues. Objective: The aim of the present review is to examine the various in vitro assays to determine antifungal activities of natural products against fungal pathogens. Results: The various antifungal susceptibility testing methods are described for natural compounds that are used for novel drug discovery. A number of biological assays ranging from the classical disk diffusion and broth dilution assay format to dye-based and fluorescent/ luminescence reporter assays are in current use. Conclusion: The importance of design and implementation of antifungal susceptibility testing methods is necessary to evaluate and exploit the diversity of natural products.