Preliminary Evidence of the Efficacy of Nitric Acid Treatment in Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is the main cause of toenail disorders and is produced by a fungal infection. It is becoming more prevalent because of new lifestyles and immunosuppression statuses. The therapeutic approach to onychomycosis is under considerable study because of the lengthy treatments that require strong patient commitment, the limited efficacy of treatments, the inclusion of active substances that can be hepatotoxic and cause pharmacological interactions, and/or the questionable efficacy of treatments due to a lack of clinical trials. This study responds to the demand for rapid treatment with minimal pharmacological interactions. Methods: The efficacy of nitric acid 60% treatment in patients with onychomycosis was monitored and studied. The antifungal efficacy of nitric acid was measured by microbiological culture before and after treatment and the clinical evolution of nail dystrophy was quantitatively measured by monitoring with the Onychomycosis Severity Index (OSI). Results: The results show that, with the protocol used, nitric acid 60% painlessly cured 40% (microbiologic cure) of the cases treated, and in all cases, clinical improvement was observed (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The treatment with nitric acid 60% is as efficient as conventional treatments, requires less patient compliance of the treatment and produces no pharmacological interactions, providing alternative treatment in the case of hepatotoxicity.

Diallyl Trisulfide, the Antifungal Component of Garlic Essential Oil and the Bioactivity of Its Nanoemulsions Formed by Spontaneous Emulsification

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical compounds of garlic essential oil (EO), and determine the antifungal efficacy of garlic EO and its major components, diallyl trisulfide and its nanoemulsions against wood-rotting fungi, Trametes hirsuta and Laetiporus sulphureus. GC-MS analysis revealed that the major constituents of garlic EO were diallyl trisulfide (39.79%), diallyl disulfide (32.91%), and diallyl sulfide (7.02%). In antifungal activity, the IC50 value of garlic EO against T. hirsuta and L. sulphureus were 137.3 and 44.6 μg/mL, respectively. Results from the antifungal tests demonstrated that the three major constituents were shown to have good antifungal activity, in which, diallyl trisulfide was the most effective against T. hirsuta and L. sulphureus, with the IC50 values of 56.1 and 31.6 μg/mL, respectively. The diallyl trisulfide nanoemulsions showed high antifungal efficacy against the examined wood-rotting fungi, and as the amount of diallyl trisulfide in the lipid phase increases, the antifungal efficacy of the nanoemulsions increases. These results showed that the nanoemulsions and normal emulsion of diallyl trisulfide have potential to develop into a natural wood preservative.

Facile Synthesis of Crosslinked Cu:ZnS-Lignocellulose Nanocomposite: A Potent Antifungal and Antisporulant System Against The Tea Pathogen Exobasidium Vexans

The objective of the present study was to synthesize Cu doped ZnS nanocore crosslinked with lignocellulose (represented as Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposite) for antifungal action against the devastating tea blister blight pathogen Exobasidium vexans. The characteristic features of the nanocomposite were analyzed via different physicochemical techniques like FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, SEM-EDX, Elemental mapping, PCS, and UV-PL studies. The FTIR and XPS investigations revealed the crosslinking between lignocellulose and the Cu:ZnS. The presence of lignocellulose was seen to attribute a potent antifungal efficacy, also enhancing the stability of the resulting nanocomposite in aqueous suspensions. The antifungal efficacy confirmed through disk diffusion and broth dilution assays have a maximum zone of inhibition of 1.75 cm2 and a MIC50 of 0.05 mg/ml against E. vexans. Additionally, the antisporulant activity was evident as the basidiospores failed to germinate in presence of the Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposites. This shows potential for stemming the rapid infectivity of E. vexans by achieving disease inhibition at the early stage. Finally, the comparison with two commonly used commercial fungicides (copper oxychloride and fluconazole) demonstrated > 10-fold higher antifungal activity for Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposites.

In vivo synergism of free miltefosine or in alginate-based nanocarrier combined with voriconazole on aspergillosis

Aim: To evaluate the activity of miltefosine (MFS), in its free form or loaded-alginate nanoparticles (MFS-AN), alone or combined with voriconazole (VRC) on Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Materials & methods: Broth microdilution assay was used for susceptibility testing of Aspergillus isolates, and the antifungal efficacy was assessed using the aspergillosis model in Galleria mellonella larvae. Results: The in vitro synergistic effect of MFS with VRC was observed only against A. fumigatus, whereas both combined therapies (MFS + VRC and MFS-AN + VRC) showed synergism in reducing the larval mortality rate and fungal burden in the larvae infected by A. fumigatus and A. flavus. Conclusions: MFS and MFS-AN combined with VRC may be an important strategy for improving antifungal therapy against aspergillosis.

Facile synthesis of crosslinked Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposite: a potent antifungal and antisporulant system against the tea pathogen Exobasidium vexans

The objective of the present study was to synthesize Cu doped ZnS nanocore crosslinked with lignocellulose (represented as Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposite) for antifungal action against the devastating tea blister blight pathogen Exobasidium vexans. The characteristic features of the nanocomposite were analyzed via different physicochemical techniques like FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM, SEM-EDX, Elemental mapping, PCS, and UV-PL studies. The FTIR and XPS investigations revealed the crosslinking between lignocellulose and the Cu:ZnS. The presence of lignocellulose was seen to attribute a potent antifungal efficacy, also enhancing the stability of the resulting nanocomposite in aqueous suspensions. The antifungal efficacy confirmed through disk diffusion and broth dilution assays have a maximum zone of inhibition of 1.75 cm2 and a MIC50 of 0.05 mg/ml against E. vexans. Additionally, the antisporulant activity was evident as the basidiospores failed to germinate in presence of the Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposites. This shows potential for stemming the rapid infectivity of E. vexans by achieving disease inhibition at the early stage. Finally, the comparison with two commonly used commercial fungicides (copper oxychloride and fluconazole) demonstrated >10-fold higher antifungal activity for Cu:ZnS-lignocellulose nanocomposites.

Antifungal Efficacy of Redox-Active Natamycin against Some Foodborne Fungi—Comparison with Aspergillus fumigatus

The fungal antioxidant system is one of the targets of the redox-active polyene antifungal drugs, including amphotericin B (AMB), nystatin (NYS), and natamycin (NAT). Besides medical applications, NAT has been used in industry for preserving foods and crops. In this study, we investigated two parameters (pH and food ingredients) affecting NAT efficacy. In the human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, NAT (2 to 16 μg mL−1) exerted higher activity at pH 5.6 than at pH 3.5 on a defined medium. In contrast, NAT exhibited higher activity at pH 3.5 than at pH 5.6 against foodborne fungal contaminants, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus, and Penicillium expansum, with P. expansum being the most sensitive. In commercial food matrices (10 organic fruit juices), food ingredients differentially affected NAT antifungal efficacy. Noteworthily, NAT overcame tolerance of the A. fumigatus signaling mutants to the fungicide fludioxonil and exerted antifungal synergism with the secondary metabolite, kojic acid (KA). Altogether, NAT exhibited better antifungal activity at acidic pH against foodborne fungi; however, the ingredients from commercial food matrices presented greater impact on NAT efficacy compared to pH values. Comprehensive determination of parameters affecting NAT efficacy and improved food formulation will promote sustainable food/crop production, food safety, and public health.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Capacity of Three Commercially Available Mouthwashes with Different Concentrations of Chlorhexidine

Chlorhexidine was introduced almost seven decades ago and has a myriad of applications in dentistry. Few studies have evaluated the antimicrobial and antifungal capacity of different concentrations of chlorhexidine mouthwashes. Therefore, the aim of this study, was to evaluate in vitro, the antibacterial and antifungal capacity of three commercially available mouthwashes in Costa Rica, with different concentrations of chlorhexidine, 0.12%, 0.06%, and 0.03%. The experimental method selected was the Kirby-Bauer method to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal effect of each compound by measuring the inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans strains, exposed to the antiseptic solutions. All samples showed some degree of antibacterial and antifungal effect. Even though we provide in vitro results, our findings are of relevance since all the species used in our experiment are microorganisms that may be present in dental plaque. Our results further support evidence that oral hygiene regimens may include mouthwashes with low doses of chlorhexidine and maintain reasonable antibacterial and antifungal efficacy.