| Summary: | Fungal infections caused by <i>Candida</i> species have attracted great interest due to their resistance to commercial antifungal agents. Essential oils from aromatic and medicinal plants have many bioactive compounds that are known for their important biological activities, mainly their antimicrobial effects. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the antifungal ability of <i>Elettaria cardamomum</i> essential oil (EO) against different clinical <i>Candida</i> isolates. Then, we investigated the anti-phospholipase, anti-protease, and anti-biofilm activity of <i>E. cardamomum</i> EO against the selected isolates. Twenty-four <i>Candida</i> strains (clinical and reference) were tested for virulence factors such as biofilm formation, protease, and phospholipase activity. The minimum inhibitory (MIC) and fungicidal (MFC) concentrations of <i>E. cardamomum</i> were determined, and their effects were tested against all <i>Candida</i> strains. Our results revealed that <i>E. cardamomum</i> EO was rich in α-terpinyl acetate (56.5%), limonene (12.6%), and mentha-2.4(8)-diene (7.65%). The tested EO showed activity against all tested <i>Candida</i> strains in their planktonic form and against exoenzymes and biofilm production. Based on our findings, we promote the use of <i>E. cardamomum</i> EO as a treatment against clinical <i>Candida</i> isolates active on the virulence factors of this fungus.
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