Fungicidal Value of Some Common Dyes Against Dermatophyte Fungi

Abstract

During the past twenty years, a considerable amount of work has been done relative to the value of dyes in bacteriological and, more recently, in mycological studies on the prevention or control of growth of the organisms concerned. In order to correlate the results, it seems desirable to give a brief resume of the purposes and fmdings of some of these various workers. In 1912 Churchman (3) published an extensive study on the selective bactericidal action of gentian violet, comprising over 300 strains of 137 species. He found the gentian violet positive and negative reactions far more definite and constant than reactions to the Gram stain but concluded that the effect on growth should be considered bacteriostatic (a term which he seems to have introduced) rather than bactericidal. Two years later, 1914, Krumwiede and Pratt (7, 8) studied 30 strains, covering all types of pathogenic bacteria, in relation to 40 samples of dyes, stressing especially the green dyes. They confirmed Churchman's fmdings as to the inhibition of most Gram positive bacteria but the Gram negative organisms grew freely as a rule. However, several of the green dyes showed marked selective action among the typhoidcolon group, suggesting their usefulness in enrichment of the typhoid-paratyphoid species. Kligler (6) in 1918 reported the inhibiting eflect of 28 compounds on 2 Gram positive and 7 Gram negative organisms. As was true for the previous workers, he found the most marked selective action in the dyes of the triphenylmethane group, such as gentian violet, malachite green, ete, which are much more toxic for, the Gram positive organisms than for Gram negative types. Ten years later, 1928, Mallman, Thorp and Semmes (12) tested gentian violet, basic fuchsin, crystal violet, acriflavine and brilliant green for selective action in paratyphoid