The inhibitory effects of carvacrol, nystatin, and their combination on oral candidiasis isolates.

BACKGROUND: Candida, a common oral microbiota, can cause opportunistic fungal infections. With rising Candida infections and limited effective antifungals, new treatments are needed. This study investigates carvacrol essential oil's effect on oral candidiasis, alone and with nystatin, compared to nystatin alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, oral samples were collected from dental clinic patients, especially denture users. The presence of Candida was confirmed and cultured from these samples. Candidiasis was detected by observing Candida colonies. Drug sensitivity was tested on 100 positive samples. The minimum concentration of inhibition and lethality of each isolate was evaluated using nystatin and carvacrol. The results were compared using two-way analysis of variance. Finally, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nystatin and carvacrol was calculated individually and in combination. RESULTS: The present study found that Candida albicans and non-albicans species were equally prevalent. Carvacrol showed significant biological activity against all Candida species, with an average MTT of 50.01%. The average MIC value of carvacrol was 24.96 µg/ml, indicating its potential to inhibit Candida growth. The mean Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) value of carvacrol was 23.48 µg/ml, suggesting its effectiveness in killing the fungi. CONCLUSION: The study's findings reveal that the MIC of carvacrol was significantly lower than that of nystatin and the combination of nystatin and carvacrol. This suggests that carvacrol holds potential as an effective herbal remedy for candidiasis.

Fungal and bacterial co-infection in the superficial and deep sternal wound after open cardiac surgery.

Background and Objectives: Sternum infection increases the time of the patients stay in the hospital and, as a result, increases the treatment costs. This study aimed to evaluate the fungal and bacterial co-infection in the superficial and deep sternal wounds after open cardiac surgery and its relationship with risk factors, as sternal infection increases the time of the patient's stay in the hospital and, as a result, increases the treatment costs. Materials and Methods: Data were collected using a questionnaire and sampling with two swabs after open heart surgery and hospitalization from 21 March 2018 to 20 March 2019 and sent to the laboratory for diagnosis of microorganisms effective in wound infection. Susceptibility testing for fluconazole and specific antibiotics was performed by the disk diffusion method. Results: Out of 210 patients studied, 2% of patients had deep sternal wound infections. The most common coinfection fungal and bacterial agents in sternal wounds were caused by Staphylococcus aureus with Candida glabrata 4% and Escherichia coli with Candida albicans 2%. S. aureus and E. coli showed the highest antibiotic susceptibility to the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, meropenem, and imipenem. Candida glabrata and Candida albicans had the highest rate of resistance to fluconazole. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, patients on the 7th day in the cardiac care unit (CCU) and the 28th day are at higher risk of getting confection of fungi with bacteria in the sternal wound. Therefore, timely and appropriate antibiotic therapy, including the use of appropriate antibiotics, can be an important step in the patient's recovery.