Fungus

Dermatophytes are responsible for a majority of superficial fungal infections. They are distinctive from other pathogenic fungi in their ability to use keratin as living. They can sustain in different ecosystems that added in their morphological and ecological range with high flexibility to changing environmental conditions. Lately, Microsporum canis has evolved as a resistant pathogen against several antifungals and has been in the focus of interest for causing outbreaks and epidemics in humans from domestic animals. The increasing evolution of resistance, therapeutic failures, and reduced number of available drugs stimulated to investigate therapeutic alternatives by using some commonly available plants empirically used for their antifungal properties. Likewise, the present study reports the in vitro antifungal efficacy of crude as well as fractionalized extracts with different solvents of Ficus racemosa leaves (L.), Cassia fistula L. and Nerium oleander L. Antifungal activity was evaluated according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocol by determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC's) values on a clinical isolate of M. canis that showed resistance to some commonly used antifungals. All crude phyto-extracts except Nerium oleander L. effectively inhibited the growth of M. canis. The methanolic extract of Ficus racemosa L. and Cassia fistula L. completely inhibited the fungal growth at a concentration of 2 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL respectively. These two phyto-extracts proved to have significant antifungal activity against common antifungal resistant M. canis isolate. Further studies with the identified plant parts through in vivo studies and pinpoint isolation of the active compound may prove beneficial as an effective alternative therapy for the pathogen.

Background and Aim: Different Candida species isolated in humans and animals have different types of parasite activity. The most pathogenic species is Candida albicans followed by Candida tropicalis. However, the effects of the morphology of Candida krusei, Candida guilliermondii, and Candida glabrata biofilms on the pathogenicity of these species have not been fully characterized. To the best of our knowledge, there is no literature on the effect of farnesol on rare Candida species. This study aimed to check the effect of different farnesol concentrations on the species C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, and C. glabrata compared with the strain C. albicans ATCC 10231, which has been widely studied, and is a strong producer of biofilms.

Materials and Methods: We studied the morphological and densitometric parameters of biofilms produced by Candida species under the influence of the drug farnesol (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO). We used a heart brain broth with the addition of 2% bovine blood serum in 96-well plates. To each well, we added 100 μL of C. albicans, C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, or C. glabrata culture, and 0.2-400 μM farnesol. The microliter plates were cultured with the lid closed at 37°C for 48 h. Then, the liquid was removed, and the wells were washed 3 times with 200 μL phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.3). Biofilm fixation was performed using 150 μL of 96% ethanol for 15 min. Then, the microliter plates were dried for 20 min at 37°C, a 0.5% solution of crystalline violet was added, and the plates were placed in an incubator at 37°C. After 5 min, the contents of the wells were removed, washed 3 times with 200 μL of phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2), and dried. The dye was extracted by washing with 200 μL of 96% ethanol for 30 min. The results were obtained using a photometric analyzer of enzyme immunoassay reactions at an optical density (OD) wavelength of 450 nm.

Results: All of Candida spp. strains tested were susceptible to farnesol at concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 400 μM for C. albicans, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, and 12.5 to 400 μM for C. glabrata.

Conclusion: This study provides new insights into the use of farnesol against biofilms produced by Candida species, but further studies in vivo are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the reduction of OD. To the best of our knowledge, the antimicrobial activity of farnesol against C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, and C. glabrata has not been reported previously, although studies have confirmed the inhibitory effect of farnesol on the growth of different microorganisms.

Clotrimazole is marketed as a regularly occurring drug under numerous distinct names and via means of numerous agencies because of its antifungal activity. Clotrimazole, an artificial imidazole derivative, is often used domestically for the remedy of vaginal and pores and skin infections because of yeasts and dermatophytes. It shows maximum activity towards Candida spp., Trichophyton spp., Microsporum spp. and Malazzesia furfur (Pityrosporon orbicular) in vitro. In addition, it also has a few in vitro towards Gram positive bacteria, and at very high concentrations shows activity towards Trichomonas spp. In the remedy of vaginal candidiasis, Clotrimazole vaginal pills have produced treatment costs similar with the ones of traditional nystatin vaginal pills. Clotrimazole has been a success in sufferers of non- responsive patients to different antifungal formulations together with nystatin and amphotericin B. Results in trichomonal vaginitis are not impressive. Skin infections because of Candida or dermatophytes had been successfully deals with topical use of clotrimazole. In comparative trials, clotrimazole cream has been as powerful as Whitfield's ointment and tolnaftate with inside the remedy of dermatophytoses , and as powerful as nystatin in cutaneous candidiasis. Clotrimazole topical formulations are well tolerated; however skin infection has withdrawal of remedy in some cases. Candida septicemia and urinary and pulmonary candidiasis had been cured with oral clotrimazole remedy. Results in different kinds of fungal infections, such as pulmonary aspergillosis, had been disappointing. A restricting issue in oral clotrimazole remedy is the excessive occurrence of gastro- intestinal disturbances and neurological reactions.

Gerbera is a potential flower crop in protected cultivation. Greenhouse conditions favour luxuriant growth of crops and also the growth and development of plant pathogens. Ten isolates of Fusarium oxysporum Sch. were collected from the root and stem of gerbera plants growing in various districts of Tamil Nadu. The fungus associated with wilt disease in gerbera was identified as Fusarium oxysporum based on the the colony character, nature of conidiogenous cell, morphology of microconidia, macroconidia and chlamydospores. Further, the identification was carried out using genus specific primers of Fusarium species which yielded an amplicon size of 389 bp. The virulent isolate FOG2 was sequenced and the NCBI assigned accession number was KM523669

: Laboulbenia formicarum Thaxt. (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) fungus is native to
N-America and has just been recorded from Europe from the invasive ant Lasius neglectus
van Loon, Boomsma et Andrásfalvy, 1990 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The ant is wellknown
from Hungary but the fungus is not known from there. We checked the infection
of L. formicarum at the Hungarian L. neglectus localities and had negative results.