Microscopic observation of the prophylactic efficacy of essential oil versus FCZ against vaginal candidiasis in BALB/c mice on days 2, 8, and 15 after-infection (periodic acid-Schiff staining, 400x). CK: neither infected nor treated animals. Group 1: infected, untreated but not immunosuppressed animals. Group 2: immunosuppressed and inoculated intravaginally with C. albicans 09-1555, and animals that received excipient. Group P1: treated groups: immunosuppressed, infected animals that received FCZ (20 μL at 100 μg/mL). Groups P2, P3, P4: treated groups: immunosuppressed, infected animals that received essential oils (20 μL at 2, 1, and 0.0625% v/v).The bar is 10 μm.