Dermatophytes Microsporum Gypseum Research Articles

Ozone Therapy on Fungi that Cause Onychomycosis

ABSTRACT Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection of the nails, predominantly caused by dermatophytes and is a notoriously difficult condition to treat. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare, in vitro, the efficacy of different applied ozone dosages against the main fungi that cause onychomycosis. Dermatophyte fungi Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28,188) and Microsporum gypseum (ATCC 24,102) were incubated at 28 °C for 14 days. Treatments were divided into nine experimental groups according to applied ozone dosages: Control Group 0 mg/m2: fungi were cultured but received no treatment; cultured fungi that received ozone therapy for 157, 314, 471, 628, 785 943, 1100 and 1257 mg/m2. The main results indicate that topical ozone therapy effectively reduced the germination percentage of T. rubrum and M. gypseum in all experimental periods, achieving a complete eradication with a treatment time of 628 and 1257 mg/m2, respectively. In conclusion, ozone therapy used topically with an applied ozone dosage of 628 mg/m2 for T. rubrum and 1257 mg/m2 for M. gypseum promoted antifungal action on the main dermatophytes responsible for critical complications of onychomycosis. Therefore, ozone therapy can be proposed as an adjuvant for dermatological treatments

Changes in antiparasitical activity of gold nanorods according to the chosen synthesis

Gold nanorods (GNRs) are increasingly being studied for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Green synthesis based methods with natural compounds as additives stand out as a hope in terms of better synthesis methodology, with advantages of producing potentially less toxic and, perhaps, biologically active GNRs due to influence of natural additives used during synthesis. Exploring green chemistry using different natural phenolic compounds, the present work reveals different in vitro activity of GNRs evaluated against different parasites that causes skin infectious diseases compared to GNRs produced by convencional seed mediated method. This approach brings advantages in producing active GNRs, with ease calling, less cytotoxic and with a better selectivity index (SI) than GNRs synthesized by conventional seed mediated synthesis, opening new possibilities for therapies. Natural compounds used in green syntheses were gallic acid (GA), resveratrol (RSV) and a purified fraction of the hydroalcoholic extract of Stryphnodendron obovatum. GNRs exhibited great activity against Leishmania braziliensis, and the dermatophytes Tricophyton rubrum, T. interdigitale and Microsporum gypseum. The anti-Leishmania and antidermatophytic activity of GNRs reinforce the applicability of GNRs in biomedical field and the influence of synthesis method in biological activity, showing benefits related to the seedless synthesis with natural compounds. In addition, these preliminary results indicate the possibility of exploring at maximum the physical and chemical properties of GNRs in addition to the biological activity itself, such as the development of topical antiparasitic formulations for association with phototherapy.

Synthesis, characterization, lipophilicity and antifungal properties of three new complexes of sulfamerazine (HSMR) with Ag(I): [Ag(SMR)], [Ag2(SMR)SCN] and [Ag(SMR)o-phenanthroline

Fungal infections, whose treatment is complicated by the appearance of the resistance to antifungal drugs, remain a major problem. Consequently, there is a critical need for new antifungal agents. Complexation of the silver(I) cation with different ligands reduces adverse effects and increases its therapeutic potential and has led to a large number of promising antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer compounds. The interest in metal–sulfanilamide derivatives has been stimulated by the successful introduction of a silver-sulfadiazine complex, still in current use. Sulfamerazine (HSMR) is a long-acting sulfanilamide antibacterial agent, which can be used to treat bronchitis, prostatitis and urinary tract infections. As a continuation of our work on metal complexes of sulfa drugs, in this paper we report the synthesis, characterization by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analyses (TG), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and Fourier transformed infrared spectra (FTIR) besides principal component analysis (PCA) spectroscopies, lipophilicity and antifungal properties of three new complexes of silver(I) with HSMR, one homoleptic: [Ag(SMR)], and two heteroleptic, using as second ligand KSCN: [Ag2(SMR)SCN] and o-phenanthroline (phen): [Ag(SMR)phen], named as (1), (2) and (3) respectively. 1H NMR spectra show that the sulfonamide moiety loses its acidic proton in all complexes, in agreement with the FTIR results. Lipophilicity: log Koctanol/water values were similarly to other sulfa-metal complexes, indicating low affinity for animal fat tissues. The three complexes showed a moderate antifungal activity, especially (3) mainly against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. None of the tested fungi was inhibited by the free ligand, NaSMR. Considering these results, the studied complexes could be good candidates for further pharmaceutical studies.

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of an endophytic Fusarium proliferatum (ACQR8), isolated from a folk medicinal plant Cissus quadrangularis L.

The endophytic fungi are an important source of bioactive natural products. This study includes evaluation of antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of endophytic fungus ACQR8, recovered from the root tissues of a folk medicinal plant Cissus quadrangularis L., which was identified as Fusarium proliferatum by microscopic and molecular methods. The fungus showed broad spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities against variety of important plant and human pathogens. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to record antifungal activity of any endophytic Fusarium sp. against phytopathogens Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum and the dermatophytes Trichophyton mentagrophyte and Microsporum gypseum. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the crude extract ranged from 40–120 µg/ml against pathogenic bacteria and 0.2–2.5 mg/ml against fungal pathogens. Besides, this study probably is also the first to document the phytochemical constituents of an endophytic Fusarium sp. Phytochemical testing and GC-MS (gas chromatography- mass spectrometry) analysis revealed the presence of fatty acids and its derivatives, phenolics, terpenoids and unsaturated alkenes in the crude extract which scientifically validates the highly promising antibacterial and antifungal activity exhibited by endophytic isolate ACQR8.

Dermatophytes, dermatophytosis in the Caribbean and potential for herbal therapy

Introduction: Dermatophytes are a group of morphologically related keratinophilic fungi that invade keratinized tissue (skin, hair, and nails) of humans and warm-blooded animals to produce clinical lesions (dermatophytosis). Clinical lesions are traditionally divided according to the site infected, namely, scalp (tinea capitis), feet (tinea pedis, commonly called “athletes’ foot”), groin, inner thighs, or buttocks (tinea cruris, commonly called “jock itch”), beard (tinea barbae), hands (tinea manuum, toe nails or finger nails (tinea unguium, also called onychomycosis), face, non-bearded area (tinea faciei) and other parts of the body, such as arms, abdomen, or legs (tinea corporis). Dermatophytosis is common world-wide and is caused by species of three genera of dermatophytes, namely Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton. This study presents an update of ecology of different species of dermatophytes and epidemiology of infections caused by them in the Caribbean. Possibility of herbal therapy of these infections as an alternative treatment is also dealt with.
 Methods: A thorough search of literature was made using PubMed, MEDLINE, Biomed Lib, Med Facts, and different sets of key words, viz. dermatophytes, tineas in Caribbean, occurrence in animals, soil etc.
 Results: It was revealed that incidence of dermatophytic infections and their epidemiologic characteristics depend on social, geographic, and environmental factors and may change with passage of time. For instance, prior to year 2000, the major cause of tinea capitis in North America for 100 years was Microsporum canis followed by M. audouinii; Since 1950 Trichophyton tonsurans has advanced from Mexico and the Caribbean to be currently a major cause of tinea capitis in North America. The two dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum and M. fulvum, and several Chrysosporium species have been frequently isolated form soils in different countries in the Caribbean.
 Conclusions: There is almost complete lack of information on human infections due to dermatophytes in several Caribbean countries. The preponderant occurrence of M. fulvum in Anguilla soils with comparatively rare isolation of M. gypseum is a significant observation. The need for further epidemiological studies on dermatophyosis in the Caribbean countries cannot be overemphasized.

Ketoconazole-loaded poly-(lactic acid) nanoparticles: Characterization and improvement of antifungal efficacy in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes

ObjectiveIn order to improve the effect of ketoconazole, poly-lactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles containing ketoconazole were prepared, characterized and tested against dermatophytes and Candida spp planktonic and biofilm cells. MethodsThe ketoconazole-PLA nanoparticles obtained by nanoprecipitation were characterized using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, quantification of encapsulated ketoconazole and the in vitro release profile were determined. Antifungal susceptibility tests against dermatophytes Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Microsporum gypseum and yeasts Candida albicans, C. dubliniensis, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis were performed. ResultsSpherical nanoparticles, with a mean diameter of 188.5nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 45% ketoconazole, were obtained. The nanoparticles containing ketoconazole had superior antifungal activity against all tested fungi strains than free ketoconazole. Inhibition of yeast biofilm formation was also achieved. ConclusionKetoconazole-PLA nanoparticles resulted in better antifungal activity of ketoconazole nanoparticles than free drug against dermatophytes and Candida species, indicating a promising tool for the development of therapeutic strategies.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS BETWEEN RED GALANGAL RHIZOME'S (Alpinia purpurata k.schum) EXTRACT AND KETOCONAZOL 2% TO INHIBIT GROWTH OF DERMATOPHYTE ​​FUNGI IN VITRO

Red galangal rhizome (Alpinia purpurata k. Scum) has a larger size and has more therapeutic properties. Red galangal has compounds that can inhibit fungal growth namely flavonoids and saponins which can interfere with the function of the fungal cytoplasmic membrane, besides that they can cause leakage and aggregation of the outer cell membrane, which can inhibit the growth of dermatophytes. This study is a laboratory experimental study, using antifungal activity test with diffusion method using paper discs to see the comparison of the red galangal extract effectiveness and ketoconazole 2% on the growth of dermatophytes fungi Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton metagrophytes by measuring the inhibition zone around the fungal colonies. The concentrations of red galangal extract used were 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% and used 2% ketoconazole as control. The data was analyzed using the One Way Anova test. Result of this study shown that all concentrations without 10 % of red galangal have inhibited zones of Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton metagrophytes but not better than ketoconazole 2 % activities.

Optimization of various physiochemical parameters to enhance production of secondary metabolite from soil actinomycetes against dermatophytes

The main objective of the study is to isolates actinomycetes from the Gwalior region and improves the production of secondary metabolite and cell growth of actinomycetes. Total 70 actinomycetes were isolated and screened for maximum secondary metabolites production against the dermatophytes on the bases of agar diffusion method & disc diffusion method. Out of 70 isolate, AP-27 has a good potential to produced secondary metabolite that inhibit the growth of dermatophytes (Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum fulvum, Tricophyton rubrum, and Tricophyton mentagrophytes). The optimization of several growth parameters like- growth medium, Incubation time, carbon sources, nitrogen sources, temperature, pH and minerals for the maximum production of secondary metabolites were checked. The optimum growth of AP-27 occurred with starch casein broth containing 2% starch as carbon source and nitrogen source was potassium nitrate nitrate at 2% at pH 7 and temperature 30?C. Soybean meal was also found to be the best nitrogen source after the potassium nitrate which can help in large scale production because In India 74% of soyabean is produced by Madhya Pradesh. FeSO4 (0.01gm/100ml) was selected as optimum mineral source. It was noticed that 6 days old culture was showing the maximum zone of inhibition and cell growth.

Screening of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Philippine Traditional Fermented Products: Potential Probiotic Bacteria with Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Thirty (30) isolates of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Philippine traditionally‐prepared fermented products, namely: fermented soy‐bean paste, fermented mustard and fermented rice‐fish mixture were studied for their in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Seventeen (17) isolates were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, while 13 isolates were identified as Enterococcus spp. using 16S rDNA sequences. The phylogenetic tree revealed that there were three clusters of LAB with 100% similarity level. Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of LAB against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, while the modified agar overlay method was used to determine the antifungal activity of LAB isolates on the yeast Candida albicans, and the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. The filter‐sterilized LAB culture supernatants were evaluated for their cytotoxicity to mammalian colon cancer cell lines HT‐29 and HCT116, and normal human dermal fibrolasts HDFn using resazurin assay (PrestoBlue™). Colchicine was the positive control. No antimicrobial activity was observed against the bacterial test organisms and the yeast Candida albicans. On the other hand, all of the tested LAB strains were fungicidal for all the test dermatophytes. Cytotoxicity index profiles of all the LAB supernatants tested showed that these were cytotoxic to HT‐ 29 and HCT116 colon cancer cell lines, but were not cytotoxic for the normal HDFn cells. Results provide strong support for the role of the lactic acid bacteria studied for antifungal treatment and anticancer therapy.Support or Funding Information1. DOST‐SEI, Accelerated Science Technology Human Resource Development Program2. Center for Environmental and Natural Science Research, De La Salle University, Taft Avenue, Manila3. De La Salle University, College of Science, Biology DepartmentThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Essential Oil Composition and Biological Activity of "Pompia", a Sardinian Citrus Ecotype.

Pompia is a Sardinian citrus ecotype whose botanical classification is still being debated. In the present study, the composition of Pompia peel essential oil (EO) is reported for the first time, along with that of the leaf EO, as a phytochemical contribution to the classification of this ecotype. The peel EO was tested for its antioxidant ability (with both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picarylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays). Moreover, its antimicrobial activities were tested for the first time on dermatophytes (Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes), on potentially toxigenic fungi (Fusarium solani, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger) as well on bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus pseudointermedius). The dominant abundance of limonene in the peel EO seems to distinguish Pompia from the Citrus spp. to which it had previously been associated. It lacks γ-terpinene, relevant in Citrus medica EO. Its relative content of α- and β-pinene is lower than 0.5%, in contrast to Citrus limon peel EO. Pompia peel and leaf EOs did not show significant amounts of linalool and linalyl acetate, which are typically found in Citrus aurantium. Pompia peel EO antioxidant activity was weak, possibly because of its lack of γ-terpinene. Moreover, it did not exert any antimicrobial effects either towards the tested bacteria strains, or to dermatophytes and environmental fungi.

Diagnosis of dermatophytosis using single fungus endogenous fluorescence spectrometry.

We propose to use a single fungus endogenous fluorescence spectrometry base on a hyperspectral fluorescence microscope for the diagnosis of dermatophytosis. Dermatophyte samples, including Aspergillus, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum gypseum, and Microsporum canis were imaged, and the endogenous fluorescence spectrum of a single fungus was calculated. High contrast fluorescence images and endogenous fluorescence spectrum of the single fungus were used to identify the type of dermatophyte. Morphologically similar Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis can be distinguished using an endogenous fluorescence spectrum of the single fungus. Meanwhile, our result showed that the sensitivity and specificity of identifying Microsporum gypseum were 95% and 93%, and the sensitivity and specificity of identifying Microsporum canis were 94% and 93%.

Therapeutic switching: from antidermatophytic essential oils to new leishmanicidal products.

This study examined whether the antidermatophytic activity of essential oils (EOs) can be used as an indicator for the discovery of active natural products against Leishmania amazonensis. The aerial parts of seven plants were hydrodistilled. Using broth microdilution techniques, the obtained EOs were tested against three strains of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis). To compare the EOs antifungal and antiparasitic effects, the EOs activities against axenic amastigotes of L. amazonensis were concurrently evaluated. For the most promising EOs, their antileishmanial activities against parasites infecting peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice were measured. The most interesting antifungal candidates were the EOs from Cymbopogon citratus, Otacanthus azureus and Protium heptaphyllum, whereas O. azureus, Piper hispidum and P. heptaphyllum EOs exhibited the lowest 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against axenic amastigotes, thus revealing a certain correspondence between both activities. The P. hispidum EO was identified as the most promising product in the results from the infected macrophages model (IC50: 4.7 µg/mL, safety index: 8). The most abundant compounds found in this EO were sesquiterpenes, notably curzerene and furanodiene. Eventually, the evaluation of the antidermatophytic activity of EOs appears to be an efficient method for identifying new potential drugs for the treatment of L. amazonensis.

Cutaneous bacterial species from Lithobates catesbeianus can inhibit pathogenic dermatophytes.

Antibiotics are being successfully used to fight many infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms. However, new infectious diseases are continuously being identified, and some known pathogens are becoming resistant against known antibiotics. Furthermore, many antifungals are causing serious side effects in long-term treatments of patients, and many skin infections caused by dermatophytes are difficult to cure. The beneficial roles of resident cutaneous microbiota to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms have been shown for many vertebrate species. Microbial symbionts on the amphibian skin for example can be a source of powerful antimicrobial metabolites that can protect amphibians against diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, caused by a fungal pathogen. In this research, we investigated whether cutaneous bacterial species isolated from Lithobates catesbeianus (North American bullfrog), an invasive amphibian species that is resistant to chytridiomycosis, produce secondary metabolites that can be used to inhibit the growth of three species of dermatophytes (Microsporum gypseum, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes) which are known to cause topical or subdermal skin infections in humans. Strongly anti-dermatophyte bacterial species that belonged to the Bacillaceae, Streptomycetaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Xanthomonadaceae, Aeromonadaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae were identified. This research has provided evidence of the presence of cutaneous anti-dermatophyte bacteria from L. catesbeianus which might provide a basis for health care providers to experiment with new antifungals in the future.

Urban propolis from San Juan province (Argentina): Ethnopharmacological uses and antifungal activity against Candida and dermatophytes

Propolis is widely used in the folk medicine of San Juan province (Argentina) to treat several diseases, including cold, cough, muscle aches and superficial mycoses. We report the in vitro antifungal activity of urban propolis, evaluated with CLSI protocols in addition to the evaluation of their chemical profile by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS techniques.The dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum were the most susceptible species and guided the fractionation of urban propolis, which was performed with Sephadex LH-20 leading to eight fractions (I–VIII). These fractions showed high antifungal activities against dermatophytes (MICs=16.0–62.5μg/mL) and yeasts (MICs=31.2–125μg/mL) being III, V and VI the most active ones (MIC100=16–31.2μg/mL). They also, showed fungicidal capacity (a condition highly appreciated in antifungal drugs to avoid recurrence) with MFC values between 31.2 and 62.5μg/mL. From the most active fractions, two lignans: 3′-methyl-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (MNDGA) (1), and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) (2), in addition to three flavonoids: chrysin (3), pinocembrin (4) and galangin (5), were isolated and quantified by HPLC–PDA-MS/MS as the main antifungal compounds. Lignans 1 and 2 showed strong activities against T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and Microsporum gypseum (MICs between 31.2 and 62.5μg/mL), and 1 showed strong activity against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans (MICs between 31.2 and 62.5μg/mL). Regarding flavonoids, all yeasts were sensitive to 5 (MIC=31.2μg/mL), whereas the dermatophytes T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum and all yeasts were moderately inhibited by 4 (MIC=31.2–250μg/mL). Finally, chrysin (3) showed low activity against yeasts and dermatophytes (MIC=250μg/mL). These results support that Argentinean urban propolis, which are frequently used by beekeepers for the preparation of syrups, tinctures and creams, are valuable natural product for the improving of human health, particularly fungal infections. It is also worthy to take into account that its chemical composition contains mainly two antifungal lignans, associated with the medicinal Larrea genus.

Restriction Analysis of β-Tubulin Gene for Differentiation of the Common Pathogenic Dermatophytes

Identification of dermatophytes at the species level, relying on macro- and microscopic properties of the colonies is time-consuming, questioned in many circumstances, and requires considerable expertise. In this study, we examined the potency of a new genetic marker, β-tubulin (BT2) gene, for differentiation of dermatophytes in an in silico and experimental restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profile. The BT2 sequences of dermatophyte species were retrieved from GenBank and analyzed using bioinformatics softwares to choose suitable restriction enzyme(s). Forty reference culture collections and 100 clinical isolates were PCR-amplified using the primers T1 and Bt2b and consequently subjected to virtual RFLP analysis. The dermatophytes were identified according to specific lengths of bands in agarose gel electrophoresis. After digestion of partially amplified β-tubulin gene with the restriction enzyme FatI, three dermatophyte species, that is, Microsporum gypseum, M. canis, and Trichophyton verrucosum yielded unique restriction maps while the remaining species including T. interdigitale, T. rubrum, T. tonsurans, T. schoenleinii, and T. violaceum, were identified by further restriction digestion by Alw21I, MwoI, and HpyCH4V endonucleases. The length of RFLP products was same as of those expected by computer analysis. The two-step BT2 restriction mapping used in this study is an effective tool for reliable differentiation of the clinically relevant species of dermatophytes.

P.2.a.010 Serotonin transporter-siRNA rapidly exerts antidepressant effects following internalisation into serotonergic neurons

Propolis is widely used in the folk medicine of San Juan province (Argentina) to treat several diseases, including cold, cough, muscle aches and superficial mycoses. We report the in vitro antifungal activity of urban propolis, evaluated with CLSI protocols in addition to the evaluation of their chemical profile by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS techniques.The dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum were the most susceptible species and guided the fractionation of urban propolis, which was performed with Sephadex LH-20 leading to eight fractions (I–VIII). These fractions showed high antifungal activities against dermatophytes (MICs = 16.0–62.5 μg/mL) and yeasts (MICs = 31.2–125 μg/mL) being III, V and VI the most active ones (MIC100 = 16–31.2 μg/mL). They also, showed fungicidal capacity (a condition highly appreciated in antifungal drugs to avoid recurrence) with MFC values between 31.2 and 62.5 μg/mL. From the most active fractions, two lignans: 3′-methyl-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (MNDGA) (1), and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) (2), in addition to three flavonoids: chrysin (3), pinocembrin (4) and galangin (5), were isolated and quantified by HPLC–PDA-MS/MS as the main antifungal compounds. Lignans 1 and 2 showed strong activities against T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and Microsporum gypseum (MICs between 31.2 and 62.5 μg/mL), and 1 showed strong activity against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans (MICs between 31.2 and 62.5 μg/mL). Regarding flavonoids, all yeasts were sensitive to 5 (MIC = 31.2 μg/mL), whereas the dermatophytes T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum and all yeasts were moderately inhibited by 4 (MIC = 31.2–250 μg/mL). Finally, chrysin (3) showed low activity against yeasts and dermatophytes (MIC = 250 μg/mL). These results support that Argentinean urban propolis, which are frequently used by beekeepers for the preparation of syrups, tinctures and creams, are valuable natural product for the improving of human health, particularly fungal infections. It is also worthy to take into account that its chemical composition contains mainly two antifungal lignans, associated with the medicinal Larrea genus.

Antifungal susceptibility testing of few medicinal plant extracts against Aspergillus spp. and Microsporum sp.

Article history: Received on: 05/07/2013 Revised on: 09/08/2013 Accepted on: 31/08/2013 Available online: 18/09/2013 Mycoses are fungal infections, the incidence of which in immunocompromised patients is currently devastating and the drugs available at hand are reported to exhibit side effects. To surmount the prevailing difficulty of complete eradication of the fungal infection, exploring new arena is a requisite and nature’s wealth can be one area that may lead to a cure for fungal infections. In the present study, the whole methanolic extracts of few medicinal plants were evaluated against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and the dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum isolated from the soil. Enicostemma littorale and Wrightia tinctoria exhibited significant (P<0.001) inhibition of about 48% against A. niger. Eupatorium odoratum inhibited both A. fumigatus (52%) and A.flavus (32%) whereas Enicostemma littorale showed about 54% of significant (P<0.05) inhibition against A. fumigatus. Significant inhibition of M. gypseum was exhibited only by Sphaeranthus indicus flower extracts (65% at P<0.05) which was even higher than the inhibition exhibited by positive control ketaconazole (49%) at 0.1 mg/ml concentration. This study demonstrates that among the medicinal plants evaluated E.littorale, W.tinctoria, E.odoratum and S.indicus flower exhibited significant antifungal activity against the tested organisms.

Antifungal Compounds from the Rhizome and Roots of Ferula hermonis

The antifungal activity of hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and aqueous extracts from the rhizome and root of Ferula hermonis was assayed in vitro by the agar disk diffusion method against a panel of human opportunistic and pathogenic fungi. Among them, the hexane and dichloromethane extracts showed the highest activity particularly against the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum and Tricophyton mentagrophytes as well as the yeast Candida lactis-condensi. Activity-guided fractionation of both extracts using an agar overlay bioautographic method led to the isolation of two antifungal compounds which were identified as the daucane aryl esters jaeschkeanadiol p-hydroxybenzoate (ferutinin) and jaeschkeanadiol benzoate (teferidin). Determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of both compounds evidenced a stronger antifungal activity for ferutinin than for teferidin. Particularly, T. mentagrophytes was the most sensitive strain with MIC and MFC values ranging from 8 to 256 µg/mL.

Essential Oil of Azorella cryptantha Collected in Two Different Locations from San Juan Province, Argentina: Chemical Variability and Anti‐Insect and Antimicrobial Activities

The essential oils (EOs) of two populations of Azorella cryptantha (Clos) Reiche, a native species from San Juan Province, were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. The compounds identified amounted to 92.3 and 88.7% of the total oil composition for A. cryptantha from Bauchaceta (Ac-BAU) and Agua Negra (Ac-AN), respectively. The EO composition for the two populations was similar, although with differences in the identity and content of the main compounds and also in the identity of minor components. The main compounds of the Ac-BAU EO were α-pinene, α-thujene, sabinene, δ-cadinene, δ-cadinol, trans-β-guaiene, and τ-muurolol, while α-pinene, α-thujene, β-pinene, γ-cadinene, τ-cadinol, δ-cadinene, τ-muurolol, and a not identified compound were the main constituents of the Ac-AN EO, which also contained 3.0% of oxygenated monoterpenes. The repellent activity on Triatoma infestans nymphs was 100 and 92% for the Ac-AN and Ac-BAU EOs, respectively. Regarding the toxic effects on Ceratitis capitata, the EOs were very active with LD(50) values lower than 11 μg/fly. The dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum, and T. mentagrophytes and the bacterial strains Escherichia coli LM(1), E. coli LM(2), and Yersinia enterocolitica PI were more sensitive toward the Ac-AN EO (MIC 125 μg/ml) than toward the Ac-BAU EO. This is the first report on the composition of A. cryptantha EO and its anti-insect and antimicrobial properties.

Phenolic content of species from leguminosae family and their antifungal activity

The phytochemical of Leguminosae family is well documented. Various types of flavonoids, isoflavones, coumarins and phenylpropanoids have been described in this family, most of them proceeding as defense chemicals or signal compounds. Phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, were found in large quantities in plants of this family, and exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the presence of phenolic compounds in extracts of 60 plants of the Leguminosae family by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and evaluate the antifungal activity of 36 of them. Compounds that showed the highest frequency were flavonoids isovitexin (23%), vitexin (20%) and luteolin (16%). In the antifungal study, none of the 36 plants showed activity against yeasts. The species Eriosema heterophyllum, Chamaecrista nictitans and Mimosa pigra had a wider spectrum of action against the dermatophytes Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, Microsporum gypseum and Epidermophyton floccosum. The species M. pigra showed low values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), around 1.9µg/mL. After fractionation it was found that the dichloromethane fraction is the most active. M. pigra could be a promising species for treatment of dermatomycoses.