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Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023Most inflammatory dermatophytoses in humans are caused by zoophilic and geophilic dermatophytes. Knowledge of the epidemiology of these fungi in animals facilitates the...
Most inflammatory dermatophytoses in humans are caused by zoophilic and geophilic dermatophytes. Knowledge of the epidemiology of these fungi in animals facilitates the prevention of dermatophytosis of animal origin in humans. We studied the prevalence of dermatophyte species in domestic animals in Switzerland and examined the effectiveness of direct mycological examination (DME) for their detection compared to mycological cultures. In total, 3515 hair and skin samples, collected between 2008 and 2022 by practicing veterinarians, were subjected to direct fluorescence microscopy and fungal culture. Overall, 611 dermatophytes were isolated, of which 547 (89.5%) were from DME-positive samples. Cats and dogs were the main reservoirs of and , whereas was predominantly found in guinea pigs. Cultures with significantly ( < 0.001) outnumbered those with in DME-negative samples (19.3% versus 6.8%), possibly because can be asymptomatic in cats and dogs, unlike , which is always infectious. Our data confirm DME as a reliable, quick, and easy method to identify the presence of dermatophytes in animals. A positive DME in an animal hair or skin sample should alert people in contact with the animal to the risk of contracting dermatophytosis.
PubMed: 36836366
DOI: 10.3390/jof9020253 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023The ability of dermatophytes to develop biofilms is possibly involved in therapeutic failure because biofilms impair drug effectiveness in the infected tissues. Research...
The ability of dermatophytes to develop biofilms is possibly involved in therapeutic failure because biofilms impair drug effectiveness in the infected tissues. Research to find new drugs with antibiofilm activity against dermatophytes is crucial. In this way, riparins, a class of alkaloids that contain an amide group, are promising antifungal compounds. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal and antibiofilm activity of riparin III (RIP3) against , and strains. We used ciclopirox (CPX) as a positive control. The effects of RIP3 on fungal growth were evaluated by the microdilution technique. The quantification of the biofilm biomass in vitro was assessed by crystal violet, and the biofilm viability was assessed by quantifying the CFU number. The ex vivo model was performed on human nail fragments, which were evaluated by visualization under light microscopy and by quantifying the CFU number (viability). Finally, we evaluated whether RIP3 inhibits sulfite production in . RIP3 inhibited the growth of and from 128 mg/L and from 256 mg/L. The results showed that RIP3 is a fungicide. Regarding antibiofilm activity, RIP3 inhibited biofilm formation and viability in vitro and ex vivo. Moreover, RIP3 inhibited the secretion of sulfite significantly and was more potent than CPX. In conclusion, the results indicate that RIP3 is a promising antifungal agent against biofilms of dermatophytes and might inhibit sulfite secretion, one relevant virulence factor.
PubMed: 36836345
DOI: 10.3390/jof9020231 -
Cureus Jan 2023Background Brazil has the most extensive plant genetic biodiversity in the world. Knowledge regarding the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants obtained through...
Background Brazil has the most extensive plant genetic biodiversity in the world. Knowledge regarding the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants obtained through popular medicine has been accrued over centuries. Such empirical knowledge often symbolizes the only therapeutic resource for various ethnic communities and groups. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants in controlling isolated fungi found in bathrooms and nurseries of a daycare center in the northwestern region of São Paulo state. Methodology This is an in vitro study carried out in the microbiology laboratory. The analyzed fungi were , spp., , , and . These fungi were exposed to the hydroalcoholic extracts of rosemary, citronella, rue, neem, and lemon. Results Rue extract was more effective against at a concentration of 12.5%. Citronella was effective against and at a concentration of 6.25%. Lemon was effective against spp. at a concentration of 6.25%. Conclusions The hydroalcoholic extracts showed antifungal activity. The in vitro evaluation of medicinal plants showed that the extracts of rue, citronella, and lemon showed a fungicide effect.
PubMed: 36811061
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.34013 -
Journal of Infection in Developing... Nov 2022Dermatophytoses are superficial mycoses, and the identification of their etiological agents is routinely performed by culture and microscopic features, which is...
INTRODUCTION
Dermatophytoses are superficial mycoses, and the identification of their etiological agents is routinely performed by culture and microscopic features, which is time-consuming and relies on personnel expertise. Molecular approaches have been developed to provide faster and reliable results; therefore, this study aimed to identify dermatophytes isolated from Alagoas state patients, employing phenotypical and molecular methods.
METHODOLOGY
Clinical samples for morphological identification were collected from private and public laboratories and cultivated on Sabouraud dextrose agar. DNA extraction was followed by ITS amplicon analysis after restriction enzyme digestion DdeI (ITS-RFLP).
RESULTS
Out of fourteen representative strains, ITS-RFLP with DdeI efficiently identified Microsporum canis, Nannizzia gypsea, and Trichophyton rubrum, while species of the complex T. tonsurans/T. mentagrophytes presented the same restriction pattern. After genotyping, 2 T. tonsurans and 1 Microsporum sp. strain were reclassified as T. rubrum.
CONCLUSIONS
RFLP of ITS-region followed by DdeI digestion produced faster and relatively reliable results than classic methods; however, this method has not been as efficient for closely related dermatophytes cryptic species.
Topics: Humans; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Arthrodermataceae; Brazil; Dermatomycoses; Culture Media
PubMed: 36449651
DOI: 10.3855/jidc.17077 -
Indian Dermatology Online Journal 2022In India, an increased prevalence of chronic, recurrent, and recalcitrant dermatophytosis is being observed. The present study assesses the clinico-mycological profile,...
BACKGROUND
In India, an increased prevalence of chronic, recurrent, and recalcitrant dermatophytosis is being observed. The present study assesses the clinico-mycological profile, antifungal drug sensitivity and therapeutic efficacy of various systemic antifungal drug regimens, in extensive dermatophytosis patients of coastal Andhra Pradesh.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred and fifty clinically diagnosed cases of extensive dermatophytosis affecting more than one body region were enrolled. Skin samples were taken for direct microscopy and fungal culture. Antifungal drug sensitivity testing was done with broth microdilution test. Therapeutic efficacy of systemic antifungal drug regimens was determined by randomly dividing the patients into 5 groups of 30 each.
RESULTS
The most common clinical patterns observed were tinea corporis et cruris (62.7%) followed by extensive tinea corporis (11.3%). KOH and culture positivity were seen in 132 (88%) and 84 cases (56%) respectively. was isolated in 78 cases (92.8%) followed by in 6 patients (7.1%). The overall mean minimum inhibitory concentration values for itraconazole (0.04 μg/mL) were low when compared to griseofulvin (4.61 μg/mL) and terbinafine (6.9 μg/mL) ( < 0.05). Combination of itraconazole and griseofulvin achieved highest clinical and mycological cure rates (93.1%). Among patients receiving single drugs, itraconazole had higher cure rates (71.4%) compared to terbinafine (59.2%) and griseofulvin (53.8%) ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
has replaced as the predominant species causing dermatophytosis in Andhra Pradesh, presenting with a severe phenotype. Itraconazole was found to be the most effective drug both and . A combination of systemic drugs should be considered in cases of monotherapy failure and in recalcitrant dermatophytosis.
PubMed: 36386757
DOI: 10.4103/idoj.idoj_143_22 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022Fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Aspergillus spp. and dermatophytes, cause more than a billion human infections every year. A large library of imidazole- and...
Fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Aspergillus spp. and dermatophytes, cause more than a billion human infections every year. A large library of imidazole- and triazole-based compounds were in vitro screened for their antifungal activity against C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, A. fumigatus and dermatophytes, such as Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The imidazole carbamate 12 emerged as the most active compound, showing a valuable antifungal activity against C. glabrata (MIC 1−16 μg/mL) and C. krusei (MIC 4−24 μg/mL). No activity against A. fumigatus or the dermatophytes was observed among all the tested compounds. The compound 12 inhibited the formation of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei biofilms and reduced the mature Candida biofilm. In the Galleria mellonella larvae, 12 showed a significant reduction in the Candida infection, together with a lack of toxicity at the concentration used to activate its antifungal activity. Moreover, the in silico prediction of the putative targets revealed that the concurrent presence of the imidazole core, the carbamate and the p-chlorophenyl is important for providing a strong affinity for lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CgCYP51a1) and the fungal carbonic anhydrase (CgNce103), the S-enantiomer being more productive in these interactions.
PubMed: 36290033
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101375 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2022causes dermatomycoses in giant pandas (). This study aimed to investigate the immune response of following deep infection. The degree of damage to the heart, liver,...
causes dermatomycoses in giant pandas (). This study aimed to investigate the immune response of following deep infection. The degree of damage to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys was evaluated using tissue fungal load, organ index, and histopathological methods. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) detected the mRNA expression of receptors and cytokines in the lung, and immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry, were used to assess immune cells in the lung. The results indicated that conidia mainly colonized the lungs and caused serious injury with infection. Furthermore, dectin-1, TLR-2, and TLR-4 played a role in recognizing cells. Numerous inflammatory cells, mainly macrophages, dendritic cells, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and inflammatory cytokines (TGF-β, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-23), were activated in the early stages of infection. With the high expression of IL-22, IL-17A, and IL-17F, the Th17 pathway exerted an adaptive immune response to infection. These results can potentially aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by in giant pandas.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Animals; Arthrodermataceae; Cytokines; Inflammation; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-12; Interleukin-17; Interleukin-23; Interleukin-6; Microsporum; RNA, Messenger; Th17 Cells; Toll-Like Receptor 2; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Ursidae
PubMed: 36233337
DOI: 10.3390/ijms231912037 -
Experimental Parasitology Nov 2022Gold nanorods (GNRs) are increasingly being studied for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Green synthesis based methods with natural compounds as additives stand out...
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.
Topics: Gold; Resveratrol; Nanotubes; Gallic Acid; Antiparasitic Agents
PubMed: 36055388
DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108367 -
Natural Products and Bioprospecting Aug 2022A new seco-anthraquinone, crispuside A (1), and three new 3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-ones, napthalenones A-C (2-4), were isolated from the roots of Rumex crispus L.,...
A new seco-anthraquinone, crispuside A (1), and three new 3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-ones, napthalenones A-C (2-4), were isolated from the roots of Rumex crispus L., along with 10 known anthraquinones (6-14) and naphthalenone (5). Their structures were fully determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including ECD, and X-ray crystallography in case of compound 5, whose absolute configuration was determined for the first time. The isolates 1, 6-14 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal activity against three skin fungi, e.g., Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton rubrum, and Microsporum gypseum. Most of the isolates showed weak anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory activity. Only compound 9 exhibited obvious anti-fungal activity against E. floccosum (MIC = 2.467 ± 0.03 μM) and M. gypseum (MIC = 4.673 ± 0.077 μM), while the MIC values of the positive control terbinafine were 1.287 ± 0.012 and 0.077 ± 0.00258 μM, respectively. The results indicated that simple emodin type anthraquinone is more potential against skin fungi than its oxyglucosyl, C-glucosyl and glycosylated seco analogues.
PubMed: 35918556
DOI: 10.1007/s13659-022-00350-3 -
Journal de Mycologie Medicale Nov 2022Histopathology and microscopic examination of infected tissue are the gold standards to prove the diagnosis of invasive fungal infection (IFI). Yet, they suffer from...
Histopathology and microscopic examination of infected tissue are the gold standards to prove the diagnosis of invasive fungal infection (IFI). Yet, they suffer from essential limitations that hamper rapid diagnosis and require the future development of new imaging tools dedicated to fungal diagnostics. To this end, the present work introduces the first use of dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography (D-FF-OCT) for the visualization of microscopic filamentous fungi. Data collected from the observation of three different fungal species (Nannizzia gypsea, Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus arrhizus) confirm the ability of D-FF-OCT to visualize not only the main structures of all selected fungal species (hyphae, spores, conidia, sporulating structures), but also the metabolic activity of the organisms, which could provide additional help in the future to better characterize the signature of each fungal structure. These results demonstrate how D-FF-OCT could serve as potential complementary tool for rapid diagnosis of IFI in both intensive and non-intensive care units.
Topics: Tomography, Optical Coherence; Aspergillus fumigatus; Spores, Fungal; Fungi
PubMed: 35732095
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101303