Isothiocyanates as potential antifungal agents: a mini-review.

Cruciferous vegetables and mustard oil are rich in the glucosinolate group of molecules. Isothiocyanates are an important group of glucosinolate derivatives. These derivatives have various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, antifungal, antiparasitic, herbicidal and antimutagenic activity. Previous studies indicate that regular intake of such vegetables may considerably reduce the incidence of various types of cancer. These studies have inspired studies where the bioactive agents of these plants have been isolated and explored for their therapeutic applications. The use of these bioactive compounds as antifungals could be a new therapeutic approach against human pathogenic fungi. Isothiocyanates have been studied for their antifungal activity and have the potential to be used for antifungal therapy.

Vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli have a distinct flavor because of chemicals called glucosinolates. Whenever we cut and eat these vegetables, glucosinolates are broken down into isothiocyanates. Glucosinolates and isothiocyanates have health benefits because they stop the growth of bacteria, parasites and fungi that cause disease, such as Candida albicans. They may also prevent cancer, as regularly eating these vegetables has been shown to reduce the development of some types of cancer in humans. Investigation is needed to explore how glucosinolates and isothiocyanates could be used to treat fungal infections.

[Effect of bladder irrigation with amphotericin B for treatment of urinary tract fungal infection: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of bladder irrigation with amphotericin B for treatment of fungal infection in the urinary tract. METHODS: All the available randomized controlled trials (published before March, 2018) examining bladder irrigation with amphotericin B for treatment of urinary tract fungal infection were searched in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 12, 2017), PubMed, EMBase, Web of Knowledge Database, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang DATA and VIP information. Data were extracted from the selected trials for meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 96 studies were retrieved from the databases, and 9 trials involving 853 patients were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with oral administration of fluconazole, bladder irrigation with amphotericin B was more effective in the treatment of fungal infection in the urinary tract (OR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.2-2.3, P=0.002) and was associated with less adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: Bladder irrigation with amphotericin B can improve the curative effect of fungal infection in the urinary tract, but due to the small sample size of the included studies, this conclusion needs to be further validated by high-quality studies.

The effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in patients eligible for liver transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability, laboratory parameters and MELD and Child-Pugh severity scores in cirrhotic patients eligible for liver transplantation. METHODS: Eighteen patients followed in a Transplant Outpatient Clinic were evaluated immediately before the beginning of treatment, after a 30-day period of treatment period with probiotics and at the end of the second study month (after a thirty-day period without probiotics). Fifteen healthy controls also underwent the intestinal permeability test (lactulose/mannitol). RESULTS: Before the probiotic, the median lactulose/ mannitol ratio was greater in the cirrhotic patients (0.0209, range 0.0012-0.1984) compared to the healthy controls (0.0030, range 0.0020-0.0013) (p < 0.05). Eight of fifteen patients, half of whom had ascites, showed increased intestinal permeability above the higher value observed in the controls. No significant association was found between the severity scores for liver disease, age, presence of ascites and intestinal permeability immediately before the beginning of study. After treatment with S. boulardii, there was no improvement in intestinal permeability or significant differences in the laboratory parameters for the three evaluations. CONCLUSIONS: Patients eligible for liver transplants presented with increased intestinal permeability compared to healthy controls. A thirty-day treatment with S. boulardii did not improve this intestinal permeability or the severity scores, nor did it impact the laboratory parameters.

Objetivo: Evaluar la influencia del Saccharomyces boulardii en la permeabilidad intestinal, parámetros bioquímicos, de MELD y de Child-Pugh en pacientes cirróticos candidatos al trasplante de hígado. Métodos: Dieciocho pacientes seguidos en ambulatorio de Transplantes fueron evaluados inmediatamente antes del inicio del tratamento con probióticos, después de período de 30 días con probióticos y al final del segundo mes de estudio (período de treinta días sin probióticos). Quince controles sanos también se sometieron a la prueba de permeabilidad intestinal (lactulosa/manitol). Resultados: Antes del probiótico, la relación de lactulosa / manitol media fue mayor en los pacientes cirróticos (0,0209; 0,0012-0,1984) en comparación con los controles sanos (0,0030; 0,0020-0,0013) (p < 0,05). Ocho de los quince pacientes, la mitad de los cuales tenía ascitis, presentaron con aumento de la permeabilidad intestinal por encima del valor más alto observado en los controles. No se observó asociación significativa entre los critérios de Meld, Child-Pugh y la edad, la presencia de ascitis y la permeabilidad intestinal inmediatamente antes del inicio del estudio. El tratamiento con S. boulardii, no resultó en mejoría de la permeabilidad intestinal, de los critérios de Meld y Child-Pugh así como de los los parámetros bioquímicos a lo largo de las tres evaluaciones. Conclusiones: Pacientes en lista de espera para transplantes hepático presentan mayor permeabilidad intestinal en comparación con los controles sanos. El tratamien o de treinta días con S. boulardii no resultó en mejoria de la permeabilidad intestinal, del MELD y Child-Pugh, asi como de los parâmetros bioquímicos.

Bioactive substances of garlic and their role in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy.

Garlic is characterised by medicinal properties due to the content of over 2000 biologically active substances. Numerous commercially processed garlic forms, which differ in the content of bioactive compounds, especially sulphuric, are available on the market. The knowledge of the types of bioactive substances present in garlic and its products, their changes during treatment and pro-health influence is of crucial importance to the diet supplement producers, doctors, pharmacists and consumers. Therefore, this work has aimed to characterise the most important bioactive substances of garlic, its preparations and describe in detail the role of garlic in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy.

Kefir: a symbiotic yeasts-bacteria community with alleged healthy capabilities.

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage. The milk fermentation is achieved by the of kefir grains, a cluster of microorganisms held together by a polysaccharide matrix named kefiran. Kefir grains are an example of symbiosis between yeast and bacteria. They have been used over years to produce kefir, a fermented beverage that is consumed all over the world, although its origin is Caucasian. A vast variety of different species of organisms forming the kefir grains, comprising yeast and bacteria, have been isolated and identified. Kefir is a probiotic food. Probiotics have shown to be beneficial to health, being presently of great interest to the food industry. Kefir has been accredited with antibacterial, antifungal and antitumoural activities among other beneficial attributes. This review includes a critical revision of the microbiological composition of kefir along with its beneficial properties to human health.

Effectiveness of nystatin in polysymptomatic patients. A randomized, double-blind trial with nystatin versus placebo in general practice.

BACKGROUND: Antifungal therapy has been claimed to be effective in polysymptomatic patients with diffuse symptoms from multiple body systems and even well defined diseases, traditionally not related to fungi. Hypersensitivity to fungus proteins and mycotoxins has been proposed as the cause. METHODS: We conducted a 4-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 116 individuals selected by a 7-item questionnaire to determine whether the antifungal agent nystatin given orally was superior to placebo. At the onset of the study, the patients were free to select either their regular diet or a sugar- and yeast-free diet, which resulted in four different subgroups: nystatin + diet (ND); placebo + diet (PD); nystatin (N); and placebo (P). RESULTS: Nystatin was significantly better than placebo in reduction of the overall symptom score (P < 0.003). In six of the 45 individually recorded symptoms, the improvement was significant (P < 0.01). All three active treatment groups reduced their overall symptom scores significantly (P < 0.0001), while the placebo regimen had no effect (P = 0.83). The benefit of diet was significant within both the nystatin (ND > N) and the placebo groups (PD > P). CONCLUSIONS: Nystatin is superior to placebo in reducing localized and systemic symptoms in individuals with presumed fungus hypersensitivity as selected by a 7-item questionnaire. This superiority is probably enhanced even further by a sugar- and yeast-free diet.