Abstract
To examine the in vitro antifungal effects of water-soluble pure elemental boron with an alkaline solution against Candida species, Trichophyton species, and Aspergillus fumigatus that cause superficial mycosis. The study was conducted at the microbiology laboratory of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Hospital, Kahramanmaras, Turkey, from June to December 2018, and comprised fungal strains isolated from patients with superficial mycosis who visited the dermatology clinic. The in vitro antifungal effects of the boron solution at various concentrations were determined using the microbroth dilution method. Candida albicans ATTC 90028 and Candida albicans MYA 274 served as the quality control strains, while fluconazole and amphotericin B were used as comparator antifungal agents. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. Of the 58 strains, 28(48.3%) were Candida albicans, 9(15.5%) non-Candida albicans, 12(20.7%) Trichophyton rubrum, 4(6.9%) Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 2(3.4%) Trichophyton species and 3(5.2%) were Aspergillus fumigates. Boron at a concentration of 78.125 μg/mL inhibited the growth of Candida albicans. The 50% and 90% minimum inhibitory concentrations of the solution in non-Candida albicanswere 78.125 and 312.5 μg/mL, respectively, whereas those in Trichophyton rubrum were 312.5 and 625 μg/mL, respectively. The 50% minimum inhibitory concentration of the solution in Aspergillus fumigatus was 625 μg/mL, whereas the 90% minimum inhibitory concentration could not be determined. Boron is an inexpensive, non-antibiotic element with potential uses as an antifungal agent.
Highlights
Boron is a ubiquitous element in nature even at low concentrations.[1]
The antifungal effects of boron on the different strains were significantly different compared to the positive control (p
We propose that boron is nontoxic to humans at an alkaline potential hydrogen (pH), and it could have several advantageous pharmacological properties, including the reduction of inflammation, erythema, or irritation, on surfaces, such as the vaginal mucosa, skin, and eyes, when used as topical antifungal agent
Summary
Boron is a ubiquitous element in nature even at low concentrations.[1] This naturallyoccurring element has two stable isotopes: consistently found covalently bound to oxygen as boric acid or tetraborate. These covalent bonds cannot be broken without extreme laboratory manipulation because of the ionic form of boron, which is controlled by both the acid dissociation constant (pKa) of the molecule and potential hydrogen (pH) of the aqueous medium.[1] Boric acid, which is referred to as boracic or orthoboric acid, is produced by exposing a concentrated solution of borax to hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. Boric acid is highly preferred for treating burns and surface-level wounds as a mild antiseptic, and it is one of the main ingredients in eye creams.[3]. As boric acid is a weak acid, it is essentially present as an undissociated acid (H3BO3)
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