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AIM: The main goal of the present research conducted to assess the in vitro activity of the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans, Fusarium solani, Verticillium chlamidosporium, and Trichoderma harzianum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four isolates of fungi including D. flagrans, F. solani, V. chlamidosporium and T. harzianum were used in this study. Horse faeces were used to provide the larvae stage of Strongyloidae family for the experiments. RESULTS: D. flagrans was the most effective fungus to reduce the population of the larval nematodes. D. flagrans was able to kill 100% of larvae after 14 days of incubation. The significant effect was seen after 7 days of incubation, therefore, the live larvae was decreased to 9, 11, 19 and 25 for D. flagrans, V. chlamidosporium, F. solani and T. harzianum, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrated that D. flagrans were most successful fungus for reducing the number of Strongylidae family larva stage from horse faeces. Follow D. flagrans, the live larvae was significantly reduced for V. chlamidosporium, F. solani and T. harzianum, respectively.
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BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus as a chronic metabolic disease occurs in patients with partial or complete deficiency of insulin secretion or disorder in action of insulin on tissue. The disease is known to provide conditions for overgrowth of Candida species. Candida spp. cause candidiasis by many virulence factors such as esterase, hemolysin and phospholipase. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare esterase and hemolytic activity in various Candida species isolated from oral cavity of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Swab samples were taken from 95 patients with diabetes (35 men and 60 women) and 95 normal persons (42 men and 53 women) and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Identification of isolated yeasts was performed by germ tube test, morphology on CHROMagar Candida medium, corn meal agar and ability to grow at 45°C. Hemolysin activity was evaluated using blood plate assay and esterase activity was determined using the Tween 80 opacity test. RESULTS: Different Candida species were isolated from 57 (60%) diabetic and 24 (25%) non-diabetic individuals. Esterase activity was detected in all Candida isolates. Only 21.6% of C. albicans from patients with diabetes had esterase activity as + 3, while it ranged from + 1 to + 2 in others. Hemolytic activity was determined in C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, C. glabrata and C. krusei as 0.79, 0.58, 0.66 and 0.74, respectively. Hemolytic activity was significantly different in the two groups of diabetics and non-diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: Oral carriage of C. albicans in the diabetic group (n = 42; 66.7%) was significantly greater than the control group (n = 16; 57.1%). Esterase activity of C. albicans in diabetic group was higher than non-diabetic group. Although C. albicans remains the most frequently pathogenic yeast for human, but other species are increasing.