<![CDATA[Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is a common and painful multifactorial inflammatory condition of the oral mucosa, with a global prevalence of 20% and of 8% in Indonesia. The resulting open mucosal ulcerations facilitate opportunistic Candida albicans infection. The current increase in antifungal resistance of up to 40% has prompted research for alternative natural ingredients for safer and more effective treatments.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of ethanolic extracts of cinnamon bark and turmeric, both individually and in combination, against C. albicans.Methods: The extracts were obtained through a maceration method with 96% ethanol, and their phytochemical content was analyzed using LC-MS/MS. For the antifungal assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values were determined using a microdilution test, while the effect of the extract combination was evaluated using a checkerboard microdilution method.Results: LC-MS/MS analysis tentatively identified ar-turmerone, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and curcumin in turmeric extract, while cinnamon bark extract contained nitrogen-containing compounds. Turmeric extract showed stronger antifungal activity, with MIC and MFC values of 1,000 µg/mL, while cinnamon bark extract showed MIC and MFC values of 2,000 and >8,000 µg/mL, respectively. The combination of the two extracts led to a stronger inhibitory activity than each extract, resulting in an FICI of 0.14, indicating a synergistic effect.Conclusions: These findings suggested that the combined treatment suppressed fungal growth at much lower concentrations, indicating a strong synergistic interaction between turmeric and cinnamon bark extracts with potential as a natural antifungal agent against C. albicans.]]>
