Chemical Composition and Antifungal and Antibiofilm Effects of Vitex pseudo-negundo Essential Oil against Pathogenic Fungal Strains.

Background: Vitex pseudo-negundo is a plant of the Lamiaceae family that grows in different parts of the world and the vicinity of seasonal rivers in Iran. Methods: The chemical composition of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils was distilled and evaluated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The antifungal activity of the essential oils against the fungal strains was analyzed by broth microdilution methods as suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Furthermore, the antibiofilm activity of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils was assessed using the XTT reduction assay. Results: Based on GC/MS analysis, the major components of the Vitex pseudo-negundo essential oils were α-pinene, α-terpinyl acetate, limonene, and (E)-caryophyllene. The growth of tested yeasts was inhibited at concentrations ranging from 2 to 64 µl/mL. Vitex pseudo-negundo fruit essential oil was the most effective in inhibiting yeast growth. Moreover, the essential oils exhibited antifungal activity against filamentous fungi strains. Additionally, the biofilm formation of Candida albicans was inhibited by the leaf, flower, and fruit of the essential oils. Conclusion: Considering the significant antifungal activities of these essential oils, they can be considered a potential source for formulating novel agents to control fungal infections.

The efficacy of complementary treatment with marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.) on vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized double-blinded controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a common gynecologic infection, and recurring cases are yet incurable. This trial was based on Persian medicine to compare how effective marshmallow aqueous extract 4% plus clotrimazole 1% (CLOT-M) is compared to clotrimazole 1% vaginal creams on VVC. METHODS: This study randomly assigned 100 women with VVC into two groups. The target group (n = 50) was treated with CLOT-M while controls (n = 50) with clotrimazole vaginal creams for seven consecutive nights. Different VVC symptoms and signs, and yeast culture from vaginal discharge were evaluated as the outcome measures before the intervention and 7 and 30 days after. RESULTS: The efficacy of CLOT-M vaginal cream was assessed during the 1st and 2nd follow-ups, indicating a significant decrease in mean itching (P = 0.001 for both comparisons) and dyspareunia score (P = 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively) as compared to treatment with clotrimazole vaginal cream. Moreover, after 7 days of the intervention, patients in the CLOT-M group experienced significant improvement in mean dysuria score compared to those in the control group (P = 0.001). Neither cream caused any significant adverse events. CONCLUSION: It seems that CLOT-M vaginal cream had a significant effect on the VVC symptoms improvement, without any significant side effects. However, larger sample-sized trials are needed for more evidence-based judgment.

Evaluation of fungal contamination and ochratoxin A detection in different types of coffee by HPLC-based method.

BACKGROUND: Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites that are produced by some toxigenic fungi on foodstuffs which are poisoning and potentiate for human's health hazards. In coffee samples, ochratoxin A and fungal contamination were examined. METHODS: Immunoaffinity columns were used for treating of all 50 samples from four types of coffee, after that high-performance liquid chromatography was used for determining the amount of ochratoxin. For the identification of fungi, all coffee samples were cultured in appropriated media. RESULTS: The results showed that all samples were contaminated by ochratoxin A but only up to 50% of them had toxins higher than acceptable level as detected in black beans (47%), green beans (33.3%), torch (33.3%), and espresso (25%). Black coffee had a higher mean concentration of ochratoxin A than green coffee. CONCLUSION: Predominant fungi isolated from coffee samples were Aspergillus species. Finally, careful monitoring of mycotoxins in coffee samples is essential to improve the quality of this favorable beverage in future.

Characterization and Physical and Biological Properties of Tissue Conditioner Incorporated with Carum copticum L.

AIM: One of the main problems in dentistry is the injury caused by the long-term application of an ill-fitting denture. The existence of multiple microorganisms along with the susceptibility of the tissue conditioners to colonize them can lead to denture stomatitis. This study is aimed at developing a tissue conditioner incorporated with Carum copticum L. (C. copticum L.) for the effective treatment of these injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Carum copticum L. essential oil composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass (GC-mass) spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil against the standard strains of bacterial and fungal species was determined by broth microdilution methods as suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The physical and chemical properties of the prepared tissue conditioner were investigated by viscoelasticity, FTIR assays, and the release study performed. Furthermore, the antibiofilm activity of the Carum copticum L. essential oil-loaded tissue conditioner was evaluated by using the XTT reduction assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS: The main component of the essential oil is thymol, which possesses high antimicrobial activity. The broth microdilution assay showed that the essential oil has broad activity as the minimum inhibitory concentration was in the range of 32-128 µg mL-1. The viscoelasticity test showed that the essential oil significantly diminished the viscoelastic modulus on the first day. The FTIR test showed that Carum copticum L. essential oil was preserved as an independent component in the tissue conditioner. The release study showed that the essential oil was released in 3 days following a sustained release and with an ultimate cumulative release of 81%. Finally, the Carum copticum L. essential oil exhibited significant activity in the inhibition of microbial biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Indeed, the lowest and highest amounts of biofilm formation on the tissue conditioner disks are exhibited in the Streptococcus salivarius and Candida albicans by up to 22.4% and 71.4% at the 64 µg mL-1 concentration of C. copticum L. with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The obtained results showed that the Carum copticum L. essential oil-loaded tissue conditioner possessed suitable physical, biological, and release properties for use as a novel treatment for denture stomatitis.