The Systemic and Local Treatment of Experimental Dermatophytosis with Griseofulvin

Abstract

Many of the commonly-med topical treatments for the superficial dermatophytoses are, it is generally agreed, of very little value, possibly because their antifungal components do not reach the infecting organism in adequate concentration. It seemed possible that systemic treatment might be more effective if a suitable agent could be found. Griseofulvin, produced by the growth of Penicillium Janczewskii Zal., is markedly inhibitory to a number of fungi (1), including some pathogenic to plants (2), man and animals (3), and has been shown to be able to exert its inhibitory action in the leaves of plants after absorption by the roots (4, 5). Oomycetes, Actinomycetes and bacteria are insensitive to griseofulyin (1). These properties suggested that it might act as a systemic fungicide in animals and, possibly, in man.