Isolation Of Keratinophilic Fungi Research Articles

Drug Discovery – A New Bioactive Compounds Isolated from Natural Sources

"A rise in mortality due to fungal infections in an immunocompromised population has been observed lately. Nowadays, due to increased fungal infections, the limitations encountered in their treatment like resistance, side-effects, and high toxicity, the rising prescription and overuse of conventional antifungals all stimulate a search for alternative natural drugs therefore we are in dire need of natural newer strategies that involve reliable agents for the treatment of fungal diseases such as essential oils are known for their anti-microbial properties and are multi-component. Materials & Methods: Soil samples (66 samples) were collected from different agricultural fields and animals habitat of Saharanpur (U.P.) Isolation of keratinophilic fungi was carried out by the hair-baiting technique. Extraction of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum essential oil was carried out by hydrodistillation method and the chemical composition of both extracted essential oils was determined by Gas ChromatographyMass Spectrophotometry. Antimycotic studies of essential oils were done by the standard disc diffusion method. Results & Discussion: In the present study, the antifungal potential of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum essential oils were evaluated against three human pathogenic fungi isolated from the soil of agricultural field and animals habitat of Saharanpur (U.P.) i.e Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T.tonsurans, and T.equinum. The chemical composition of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum EO was analyzed by GC-MS. Menthol (53.28%) was the major compound of the Mentha piperita EO followed by Menthyl acetate (15.1%) and Menthofuran (11.18%). Major constituents of Cinnamonum vernum EO were linalool (8%), (E)- cinnamaldehyde (7.2%), β-caryophyllene (7.4%), eucalyptol (6.4%), and eugenol (5.6%). Conclusion: Essential oils of Mentha piperita & Cinnamonum vernum have been found to have remarkable & excellent antifungal activity against these pathogenic fungi. Present findings conclude that natural products like plant-derived EOs instead of chemotherapy and the emergence of resistance to antifungal drugs can be regarded as an environmental safety mode of disease control against pathogens. "

S5.4c Isolation of keratinophilic fungi of the genus Microsporum from the soils of Moscow, Russia

5.4 Free oral paper session, September 22, 2022, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PMIt is reported about the discovery of zoophilic and geophilic dermatophytes in the soils of city parks and adjacent territories of Moscow, Russia. Microscopic fungi of the Microsporum genus were found in 27/50 samples (54%): Microsporum gypseum (42%) and Microsporum canis (12%), their number was higher in the soils taken from the adjacent areas where domestic animals are walked. This increases the risk of infection of animals upon contact with soil.ObjectivesThe research was conducted to determine the frequency of occurrence of potential pathogens of animal dermatophytosis in those areas of the soil cover where pets are walking. Soil samples were taken from several areas: the adjacent territories along the streets of Vishnevsky and Kostyakov, designated as areas 1 and 2, the park ‘Dubki’, Lianozovsky, Timiryazevsky, designated as 3, 4, and 5, respectively.Areas 1 and 2 are narrow patches of soil adjacent to residential buildings and sidewalks where pets are most often walked. Areas 3 and 4 are areas of soil adjacent to park paths, where animal walking is less common. Area 5 is a relatively little-visited place in the forest park, where animals are rarely walked.MethodsBefore sampling, vegetation cover and rubbish were removed from the soil area, then ∼ 100 g of soil was taken from the surface using aseptic rules in sterile plastic containers. A total of 10 soil samples were taken from each plot. The soil was dried at room temperature, sieved to remove rubbish, and plant parts, and placed in sterile Petri dishes.Isolation of fungi was carried out by the ‘bait’ method: samples of sterile pet hair about 1 cm long were placed on the surface of the soil, the soil was moistened with sterile distilled water with the addition of a selective additive for the isolation of dermatophytes (Dermasel, Oxoid). Petri dishes were periodically inspected for fungal growth on the surface of the wool and moistened if necessary.When the growth of microscopic fungi was detected on the surface of the wool, they were sterilely transferred to Petri dishes with wort agar medium (M129, HiMedia) to obtain a pure culture and identification. Only microscopic fungi of the genus Microsporum were taken into account.ResultsAs a result of the research, a total of 27 isolates of microscopic fungi, 21 of Microsporum gypseum and 6 of Microsporum canis were isolated from the soils of Moscow: 7 isolates at the area 1 (6 of M. gypseum, 1 of M. canis), 8 isolates at the area 2 (5 of M. gypseum, 3 of M. canis), 5 isolates at areas 3, and 5 (4 of M. gypseum, 1 of M. canis), 2 isolates of M. gypseum at the area 5. The results are illustrated in Figure 1.ConclusionSoils located in adjacent areas are more polluted by the hair of pets that walk there. Therefore, these soils also contain keratinophilic microscopic fungi, which includes the pathogens of animal dermatophytosis. In such places, animals are susceptible to infection with fungal infections directly from the soil.

Dermatophytes and Other Keratinophiic Fungi in Soils of Anguilla, British West Indies (BWI)

Aims: Keratinophilic fungi include dermatophytes and a variety of other fungi. Information on their occurrence in several Caribbean countries is scarce. This study investigates occurrence of dermatophytes and other keratinophiic fungi in soils of Anguilla, British West Indies (BWI) and emphasizes its public health significance.
 Study design: Place and Duration of Study: The study was done in the Department of Microbiology, Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla (BWI). One hundred and ten samples of soils from habitats in several localities in Anguilla were examined.
 Methodology: The samples were processed by Vanbreuseghem’s hair-bait technique. Bits of fungal growth on hair-bates were cultured on Mycobiotic agar to get pure cultures. Identification of the isolates was accomplished by a detailed study of colonial characters and microscopical features of the isolates.
 Results: Eighty-five isolates of keratinophilic fungi were recovered. The identified species included two geophilic dermatophytes, Micrsporum fulvum and M. gypseum and two species of Chrysosporium, namely Chrysosporium keratinophilum and C. indicum, M. fulvum was the predominant species being recovered from 35 (31.8%) of the soil samples followed by C. keratinophilum being isolated from 15.5% of the samples. M. gypseum was present in 8 (7.3%) of the samples. The prevalence of other species was as follows: C. indicum (13.6%), Chrysosporium spp. (4.5%) and Sepedonium spp. (4.5%).
 Conclusion: The preponderance occurrence of M. fulvum over M. gypseum and that of C. keratinophilum over C. indicum in soils of Anguilla is a remarkable observation. The farmers, other workers, school children who come in contact with soil are likely to be infected with a dermatophytes and also the visitors to the beaches and the local population nearby.

DIVERSITY OF ARTHRODERMATACEAE COMMUNITIES THAT CREATE HAVOC TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF HUMAN AND ANIMALS

Keratinous substance rich soil is most conducive for keratinophilic fungi growth and occurrence. Dermatophytes and other related fungi are potential pathogens causing human and animal dermatomycoses. Herein, this study went for screening the presence of dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi in various soil samples collected from different locations of Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. A total of 80 soil samples from roadsides, fields and stables were subjected for mycological analysis using modified hair-bait technique with hair of horse, cattle and goat, sheep wool, and chicken feathers as a keratin source for keratinophilic fungi growth. Keratinophilic fungi were identified according to their phenotypical characterization in combination with PCR amplification and sequencing for internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. Keratinophilic fungi were recovered from 73.75% of soil samples (59/80). Field soils yielded a higher positivity rate for keratinophilic fungal isolates (90%) than roadsides (66.67%) and stables (58.82%). The majority of keratinophilic fungi belonged to dermatophytes (57.47%). Microsporum gypseum (50.85%) were detected in the majority of sites followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes (30.51%), Chrysosporium species (28.81%), C. keratinophilium (23.73%), C. tropicum, C. zonatum, Arthroderma multifidum, Arthroderma benhami, Arthroderma fulvum, Clonostachys species, Simplicillium obclavatum and Purpureocillium lilacinum (1.69%, each). It was found that horse and goat hair were more suitable for isolation of keratinophilic fungi with a percentage of 100% for each, followed by cattle hair (91.66%), sheep wool (87.5%) and chicken feathers (83.33%). This investigation demonstrated that the various soils of Sharkia Governorate might be critical suppliers of certain keratinophilic fungi that may constitute hazards to human and animal health. The genetic-based identification is strongly recommended for a high discriminatory identification of keratinophilic fungi.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the soil of Greater Tunb, Abu-Musa, and Sirri islands in the Persian Gulf, Iran.

Background and Purpose:Keratinophilic fungi are among the important groups of fungi living in the soil. This study aimed to isolate and identify keratinophilic fungi from the soil of three Iranian islands, namely Greater Tunb, Abu Musa, and Sirri, located in the Persian Gulf using morphological and molecular (polymerase chain reaction) methods.Materials and Methods: In this study, a total of 60 soil samples were collected from the three islands of Greater Tunb, Abu Musa, and Sirri. The samples were analyzed for the presence of the keratinophilic fungi using a hair baiting technique. Furthermore, the identification of keratinophilic fungi was accomplished through the employment of molecular and sequencing techniques.Results:A total of 130 fungal isolates, including 11 genera with 24 species, were collected. Accordingly, Chrysosporium tropicum (24;18.5%), C. keratinophilum (17; 13.1%), Chrysosporium species (15; 11.5%), Aspergillus species ( 8;6.1%), Aspergillus flavus (8; 6.1%), Penicillium species (8;6.1%), Alternaria spp ( 6; 4.6%), Phoma species (5; 3.8%), Aphanoascus verrucosus (4;3.1%), Fusarium chlamydosporum (4; 3.1%), Aspergillus trreus (4;3.1%), Acremonium species (4; 3.1%), and other fungi( 23; 17.8 %) isolates were identified . All isolates of keratinophilic fungi were isolated from the soils with the pH range of 7-9.Conclusion:The results of this study contributed towards a better conceptualization of the incidence pattern of keratinophilic fungi in the regions of Iran. Given that no study has investigated this issue, the findings of the present study can be beneficial for the management of public health surveillance, physicians, and epidemiologists.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the soil of islands of Greater Tunb, Abu-Musa and Sirri, Persian Gulf, Iran

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the soil of islands of Greater Tunb, Abu-Musa and Sirri, Persian Gulf, Iran

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from selected soils of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai (India)

One hundred and twenty-five samples were collected from eight different sites in the vicinity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting technique for isolation. Seventy-three isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micro-morphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Thirteen species of nine genera were isolated viz. Aphanoascus durus (2.4%), Arthroderma corniculatum (1.6%), Auxarthron umbrinum (0.8%), Chrysosporium evolceanui (1.6%), Chrysosporium indicum (16.0%), Chrysosporium tropicum (2.4%), Chrysosporium zonatum (4.0%), Chrysosporium states of Arthroderma tuberculatum (0.8%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (11.2%), Gymnascella dankaliensis (3.2%), Microsporum gypseum (12.0%), Myriodontium keratinophilum (0.8%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (1.6%). Representative of all thirteen species can release the protein in the range of 152.2-322.4 μg/mL in liquid media when grown on human hair in shake flask culture and also decompose 18.4-40.2% of human hair after four weeks of incubation. This study indicates that the soils of SGNP, Mumbai may be significant reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi. The keratinolytic activity of these fungi may be playing significant role in superficial infections to man and animals and recycling of keratinic material of this environment.

Epidemiological Study of Keratinophilic Fungi in Baghdad Swimming Pools

The present study was included the isolation of Keratinophilic fungi from water samples taken from 19 indoor public swimming pools in Baghdad during four season (summer ,fall ,spring ,and winter). Isolation period was September 2011and September 2012 . Samples were collected from different places in swimming pool . Sixteen keratinophilic fungal species, belonging to twenty –one genera were isolated using Surface Dilution Plating (SDP) and Hair Bait Technique (HBT) . Aspergillus genus was the most frequent and occurrence (19.84%), followed by Trichophyton (11.60%) and Fusarium (7.59% ) . The most common fungal infection occurred in summer season (42.16%) , and the most frequent month manifestation of species occurred in August (17%) .

Epidemiological Study of Keratinophilic Fungi in Baghdad Swimming Pools

The present study was included the isolation of Keratinophilic fungi from water samples taken from 19 indoor public swimming pools in Baghdad during four season (summer ,fall ,spring ,and winter). Isolation period was September 2011and September 2012 . Samples were collected from different places in swimming pool . Sixteen keratinophilic fungal species, belonging to twenty –one genera were isolated using Surface Dilution Plating (SDP) and Hair Bait Technique (HBT) . Aspergillus genus was the most frequent and occurrence (19.84%), followed by Trichophyton (11.60%) and Fusarium (7.59% ) . The most common fungal infection occurred in summer season (42.16%) , and the most frequent month manifestation of species occurred in August (17%) .

A preliminary study on the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi in soils of Jamaica.

This report represents the first study of keratinophilic fungi present in soils of Jamaica. Out of the 40 soil samples examined from different habitats, 30 (75%) were positive for the presence of keratinophilic fungi, yielding 36 isolates of keratinophilic fungi. Microsporum gypseum complex (represented by 16 isolates of M. gypseum, and four of M. fulvum) was most frequent, being present in 50% of the samples. A very high occurrence of this dermatophyte in Jamaican soil is of public health significance. The remaining isolates of keratinophilic fungi were represented by Chrysosporium spp (mainly C. indicum and C. tropicum) and Sepedonium sp.

English

In an endeavor to search for some wild isolates of keratinophilic fungi from the Raipur City of Chhattisgarh, 24 soil samples from different regions of the city were collected and screened using hair baiting technique. A total of six species which belong to two genera were isolated. They are Chrysosporium keratinophilum (27.78%), Chrysosporium pannicola (5.56%), Chrysosporium tropicum (13.89%), Chrysosporium sp. (close to Chrysosporium pannicola) (11.11%), Chrysosporium sp. (16.67%) and Microsporum gypseum (25%). The Chrysosporium species prevalent in this region are able to tolerate temperature of about 40°C and all isolates belong to moderate individual risk group. Key words: Keratinophilic fungi, Raipur, Chrysosporium, Microsporum.

Isolation of Keratinophilic Fungi and Aerobic Actinomycetes From Park Soils in Gorgan, North of Iran

Background: Keratinophilic fungi are a group of fungi that colonize in various keratinous substrates and degrade them to the components with low molecular weight. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi and aerobic Actinomycetes in soil of city parks in Gorgan. Objectives: In this study, we surveyed the city park soils of Gorgan (a northern province of Iran) to determine the identities and diversity of soil aerobic Actinomycetes, keratinophilic and non-keratinophilic fungi. Materials and Methods: A total of 244 soil samples were collected from 22 different parks of Gorgan, North of Iran. The samples were collected from the superficial layer with depth not exceeding than 0-10 cm in sterile polyethylene bags. We used hair bait technique for isolation keratinophilic fungi. The colonies identified by macroscopic and microscopic characterization after slide culturing. Actinomycetes were isolated by antibiotic dilution methods and detected by using physiological tests such as Lysozyme, Casein, Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, Gelatin, Urea Broth, and modified acid-fast stain. Results: Totally, 75 isolates of aerobic Actinomycetes were detected that Actinomaduramadurae and Nocardiaasteroides were the most prevalent strains, with 14.66 and 28% prevalence respectively. Microsporumgypseum was more frequent than other keratinophilic fungi (22.96%) and Aspergillus spp. was the most species of saprophyte fungi (15.92%). Conclusions: This study showed that the collected soil from studied areas was rich of keratinophilic fungi and Actinomycetes, therefore hygiene protocol should be taken to prevent the spread of pathogenic and saprophytes fungi in the environment of susceptible person.

Isolation and Investigation of Keratinophilic Fungi in the Parks of Municipality Districts of Tehran

Background: Keratinophilic fungi are a small but well-defined and important group of fungi that can degrade the hard keratin. So, keratinophilic fungi may be pathogenic with regard to keratinized tissues of human and animal. Objectives: In this study we took samples from the soil of Tehran parks, to investigate the role of keratinophilic fungi in soil, because of the frequent contacts of human being with soil, especially children. Materials and Methods: Two hundred soil samples from different parks were examined for the presence of geophilic keratinophilic fungi. Fungi were isolated from the samples by the method of hair baiting. Results: A total of 222 isolates of keratinophilic fungi were obtained. The following species were isolated: Acremonium (17.5%), Chrysosporium (12.6%), Fusarium (11.3%), Cunninghamella (11.3%), Microsporum gypseum (10.4%), Gliocladium (9.9%), Ulocladium (6.7%), Penicillium (4.0%), Aspergillus niger (3.6%), Aspergillus (2.7%), Alternaria (2.2%), Scopulariopsis (1.8%), Verticillium (1.8%), Mucor (1.3%), Drechslera (0.9%), Rhizopus (0.9%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (0.4%), Cladosporium (0.4%). Conclusions: The soil represents the main reservoir of keratinophilic fungi including dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes. Therefore, soil can be a source of infection for humans and animals. From the results presented in this study, an association exists between keratinophilic fungi and the soil of parks in municipality districts of Tehran.

Polymerase Chain Reaction: Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Differentiates the Environmental and Clinically Important Fungal Isolates

Soil rich in keratinous material represents the main reservoir of keratinophilic fungi. Majority of soil saprophytes are known to cause fungal disease (mycoses) in human beings and animals. Considering the importance of soil saprophytes as potential human pathogens, this study aimed at assessing their presence in various soil samples collected from different locations of Jammu, India. Soil samples were screened for the isolation of keratinophilic fungi by using hair bait technique. A total of 16 fungal isolates were identified on the basis of macro and microscopic characteristics. Out of these, 12 fungal isolates were obtained from soil and four were clinical isolates. PCR–RFLP approach was used for detecting genetic relatedness between the environmental and clinical isolates. ITS (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region of 16 fungal isolate was amplified with primer pair ITS1 and ITS4. Gel electrophoresis after PCR of ITS region showed that DNA from all the fungal isolates yielded single fragment ranging from 550 to 650 bp. This was followed by Seminested PCR to detect variations in ITS2 region using primer pair ITS86 and ITS4. The PCR product was subjected to restriction digestion with ten restriction enzymes out of which four enzymes MboI, MseI, MvaI, HpaII showed best results. Restriction fragments obtained were scored for the presence and absence of bands. Dendrogram was generated which divided the fungal isolates into four main groups. PCR-RFLP made possible the detection of interspecies and intrastrainal variations in keratinophilic fungi isolated from soil and clinically relevant isolates from patients with opportunistic infections.

Isolation and Molecular Identification of Keratinophilic Fungi from Public Parks Soil in Shiraz, Iran

Introduction. Keratinophilic fungi are an important group of fungi that live in soil. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify keratinophilic fungi from the soil of different parks in Shiraz. Materials and Methods. A total of 196 soil samples from 43 parks were collected. Isolation of the fungi was performed by hair bait technique. The isolated colonies were identified by morphologic feature of macro- and microconidia and molecular method, using DNA sequence analysis. ITS region of ribosomal DNA was amplified and the PCR products were sequenced. Results. 411 isolates from 22 genera were identified. Fusarium (23.8%), Chrysosporium (13.13%), Acremonium (12.65%), Penicillium (12.39%), Microsporum gypseum (1.94%), Bionectria ochroleuca (1.21%), Bipolaris spicifera (1.21%), Scedosporium apiospermum (0.82%), Phialophora reptans (0.82%), Cephalosporium curtipes (0.49%), Scedosporium dehoogii (0.24%), Ochroconis constricta (0.24%), Nectria mauritiicola (0.49%), Chaetomium (0.49%), Scopulariopsis (0.24%), Malbranchea (0.24%), and Tritirachium (0.24%) were the most important isolates. Most of the fungi were isolated from the soils with the PH range of 7 to 8. Conclusion. Our study results showed that many keratinophilic fungi isolated from the parks soil are important for public health and children are an important group at a high risk of being exposed to these fungi.

Keratinophilic Fungi Recovered from Feathers of Different Species of Birds in St Kitts and Nevis

The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi including dermatophytes on feathers of domestic and wild birds in the islands of St Kitts and Nevis. During 2010-2011, samples of feathers from ninety-four birds were examined by hair-baiting technique in Petri-dishes containing sterilized soil. Fungal growths appearing on the feathers and the hair-baits were microscopically examined and the cultures obtained were identified on the basis of their microscopic and colonial morphology. Chrysosporium constituted the majority (86.9%) of the 72 isolates of keratinophilic fungi, represented by mainly C tropicum and C indicum. Sepedonium spp isolates were recovered from nine of the feather samples; two of these were identified as Sepedonium chrysospermum, and the other two as S ampullosporum. Recovery of four isolates of the dermatophyte, Microsporum gypseum complex (two each of M gyspeum and M fulvum) from feathers of birds is a finding of public health significance.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from soil in Isfahan province, Iran

To evaluate the epidemiology of keratophilic fungi in Isfahan province, Iran. The present research has been conducted on soil samples collected from 16 townships of Isfahan province. For isolate geophilic dermatophytes and keratinophilic fungi, the keratin baiting technique has been applied. Of 800soil samples examined, 588 (73.5%) keratinophilic fungi were isolated. The present studied recognized 727 isolates including 16 species of 11genus, as follows: Chrysosporium keratinophilum (31.4%), C. pannicola (16.9%), C. tropicum (15.4%), Microsporum gypseum (12.4%), Chrysosporium spp. (9.9%), C. indicum (7%), Sepedonium spp. (3.3%), Malbranchia spp. (1%), Trichophyton terrestre (0.8%), T. ajelloi and Paecilomyces lilacinus (0.4%), Engyodontium album and Acremonium spp. (0.3%), Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp. and Ulocladium spp. (0.1%). In this study, E. album was isolated for the first time in this country (Iran). The frequency these keratinophilic fungi are discussed in relation to different agents such as soil pH. This study contributes to the knowledge of keratophilic fungi in Iran.

Molecular characterization of the keratinophilic fungi isolated from high altitude regions of Kashmir

Keratinophilic fungi is an ecologically important group that cycle one of the most abundant and highly stable animal protein on the earth 'Keratin'. The keratin degrading ability of these fungi has been attributed to the production of the extracellular proteases known as keratinases. They have great potential in wool and silk cleaning, leather industry, developing cost effective feather by-products, valorization of the keratin containing wastes, bioremediation and curing skin diseases. In addition, prospective application in prion degradation can revolutionize the protease world in the near future. In the present study, we focussed on the isolation of keratinophilic fungi from the soils of high altitude areas of Kashmir. The sites selected were Khanyar (5173 ft) and Tangmarg (8900 ft). Nineteen isolates of keratinophilic fungi were isolated from these soils by keratin bait technique. These were purified and identified by studying the micro and morphological characters by using relevant literature. Molecular characterization offers more discrimination in fingerprinting an organism and studying its lineage, we thereby relied on PCR based RAPD technique. It is a sensitive and rapid molecular tool for species identification as many fungi do not produce characteristic spores. For molecular characterization, genomic DNA from fungal isolates were isolated and purified. These were then amplified using twenty-one RAPD primers for detecting the polymorphism. PCR products were then separated on the agarose gel. The data was analysed using RAPD-PLOT, PHYLIP and TREE VIEW softwares. Dendrogram generated divided the isolated keratinophiles into three main groups. This data supported the morphological analysis to a noticeable extent.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi and other dermatophytes from feathers of Nigerian turkey

The study determined the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi and other dermatophytes from the feathers of Turkey in Nigeria. A total of 100 samples between August to December 2004 were selected and examined for the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi and dermatophytes. Only 23 showed some scaling and peeling around the feathers. Diagnosis by culture showed that 5 different genera of fungi were recovered from 78 of the 100 samples screened. They included Microsporum gallinae, 11 (14%), Microsporum gypseum, 15 (19%), Trichephyton mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes, 5 (6%), Trichophyton equinum, 5 (6%), Arthroderma curreyi, 6 (8%), Chrysosporium tropicum, 20 (26%) and Ctenomyces serratus, 16 (21%). Chrysosporium tropicum and Ctenomyles serratus were the most frequently isolated keratinophilic fungi. The abdominal region was the commonest site of isolation of keratinophilic and other dermatophytes in 55 (70.5%) of the 78 positive samples. The study further showed that turkey feathers that are apparently healthy harbour variety of fungi that may be potential pathogens. Keywords: keratinophilic fungi, dermatophytes, turkey feathers Sudanese Journal of Dermatology Vol. 3(3) 2005: 119-124

Keratinophilic Fungi Recovered from Muddy Soil in Cairo Vicinities, Egypt

One hundred samples of muddy soil were collected from seven areas in the vicinity of Cairo and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi by using hair baiting isolation technique. Forty isolates of keratinophilic fungi were recovered and identified by recognition of their cultures, macro- and micromorphological features. Their physiological and molecular characteristics were studied by determination of their ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q) composition and DNA sequences of (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and 18S rRNA region sequences. The Keratinophilic isolates were identified as Chrysosporium carmichaelii, C. queenslandicum, C. zonatum, C. indicum, Aphanoascus mephitalis, and Uncinocarpus reesii. Chrysosporium zonatum was the most prevalent species and represented 42.5% of the total number of isolates. Each of C. carmichaelii and C. queenslandicum were equal in their prevalence and represented 15%. C. indicum comes next constituting 12.5%; followed by Uncinocarpus reesii which represented 10%. The least prevalent species in our study was Aphanoascus mephitalis, which was represented only 5% of the total keratinophilic isolates.