[Cardiac involvement in adults with echinococcosis].

Experiments have established that the first target for echinococcus is the liver and lung and that for pathogenic fungi and protozoa is the heart. Adult patients with hepatic hydatid disease complicated by paecilomycosis have been found to have atypical paecilomycosis-associated myocarditis, the treatment of which was developed by the authors, by using antibiotics, fungicides, and homeopathic remedies.

Detoxification of castor bean residues and the simultaneous production of tannase and phytase by solid-state fermentation using Paecilomyces variotii.

In this work, we introduce a biological detoxification method that converts toxic waste from castor beans into animal feed material. This method simultaneously induces the production of tannase and phytase by Paecilomyces variotii; both enzymes have high levels of activity and have the potential to be used in feedstuffs because they decrease overall anti-nutritional factors. The maximum tannase and phytase activities obtained were 2600 and 260 U/g after 48 and 72 h, respectively. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis of the fermented castor cake extracts revealed a reduction in ricin bands during fermentation, and the bands were no longer visible after 48 h. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated by MTT testing on RAW cells, and a progressive increase in cellular viability was obtained, reaching almost 100% after 72 h of fermentation.

[Amino acid exchange in paeci lomycosis-complicated echinococcosis].

The authors have detected atypical paecilomycosis-associated myocarditis with impaired amino acid exchange and pain syndrome for the first time. At first, pain occurs in the chest and radiates into the axilla, to the left arm to the finger tips, by paralyzing the arm. In some patients, pain manifests itself in both arms with radiation to the belly, by accompanying by fainting. The skin is wet, cold; the pulse is frequent and of poor volume and difficult-to-count. Heart pain spreads into the armpit and down the arm, by making the fingers numb. Attempts to use current analgesics (movalis, sirdalud, nimesil, morphine) in combination with fungicides (diflucan, mycosist, orungal) have failed to yield positive results. The homeopathic drug Latrodectus mactans, prepared from caracurt venom, in combination with the authors' designed diet and other homeopathic agents have relieved pain syndrome and normalized amino acid exchange, which offered possibilities for successful surgical treatment for echinococcosis with later recovery.

Two antifungal components isolated from Fructus Psoraleae and Folium Eucalypti Globuli by bioassay-guided purification.

Fructus Psoraleae and Folium Eucalypti Globuli have long been used as Chinese medicines to treat various ailments such as asthma, eczema and dermatomycosis. In previous studies, their antifungal activities were demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to isolate active antidermatophytic compounds from their ethanolic extracts by means of bioassay-guided purification. Guided by the inhibitory activities on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum and Paecilomyces variotii, bakuchiol was isolated from the n-hexane fraction of Fructus Psoraleae whilst macrocarpal C was isolated from the n-hexane fraction of Folium Eucalypti Globuli. Both pure compounds could effectively inhibit the growth of dermatophytes in vitro. This is the first paper to report the isolation and identification of active antidermatophytic compounds from Fructus Psoraleae and Folium Eucalypti Globuli by the bioassay-guided purification.

Efficacy of voriconazole in a murine model of invasive paecilomycosis.

We studied the efficacy of voriconazole (VRC) and amphotericin B (AMB) in an immunosuppressed murine model of disseminated infection by two strains of Paecilomyces lilacinus. Mice were treated with VRC 60 mg/kg/day orally or AMB 3mg/kg/day intraperitoneally, beginning 1 day after infection and continuing for 9 days. To avoid rapid clearance of VRC, animals receiving VRC and the control group were given grapefruit juice instead of water. VRC significantly prolonged survival with respect to the group treated with AMB and the control group for both strains (P=0.005 and P<0.0001, respectively, for strain FMR 5522; and P=0.0002 and P<0.0001, respectively, for strain FMR 8252). VRC reduced the fungal load in the spleen, kidneys and liver of infected mice for both strains tested. Survival of mice challenged with strain FMR 8252 treated with AMB did not differ from that of the control group (P=0.223), being worse than that of the mice treated with VRC (P=0.0002). AMB was not able to reduce the tissue burden in any organ with respect to the control group for both strains studied.

Purification and partial characterization of an exo-polygalacturonase from Paecilomyces variotii liquid cultures.

An extracellular polygalacturonase (PG) produced from Paecilomyces variotii was purified to homogeneity through two chromatography steps using DEAE-Fractogel and Sephadex G-100. The molecular weight of P. variotii PG was 77,300 Da by gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. PG had isoelectric point of 4.37 and optimum pH 4.0. PG was very stable from pH 3.0 to 6.0. The extent of hydrolysis of different pectins by the purified enzyme was decreased with an increase in the degree of esterification. PG had no activity toward non-pectic polysaccharides. The apparent K(m) and V(max) values for hydrolyzing sodium polypectate were 1.84 mg/mL and 432 micromol/min/mg, respectively. PG was found to have temperature optimum at 65 degrees Celsius and was totally stable at 45 degrees Celsius for 90 min. Half-life at 55 degrees Celsius was 50.6 min. Almost all the examined metal cations showed partial inhibitory effects under enzymatic activity, except for Na(+1), K(+1), and Co(+2) (1 mM) and Cu(+2) (1 and 10 mM).

Voriconazole-resistant disseminated Paecilomyces variotii infection in a neutropenic patient with leukaemia on voriconazole prophylaxis.

Paecilomyces variotii, an emerging hyalohyphomycetes, has been reported to be susceptible in vitro to voriconazole. We describe a case of disseminated P. variotii infection in a neutropenic child with relapsed leukaemia who was on voriconazole prophylaxis. The P. variotii isolate was resistant to voriconazole in vitro. The patient responded to liposomal amphotericin B.

Combined surgical and antifungal treatment of a subcutaneous infection due to Paecilomyces lilacinus.

Paecilomyces lilacinus was the causal agent of a case of subcutaneous infection in a patient with liver cirrhosis. Surgical treatment in combination with systemic amphotericin B therapy led to complete recovery. Retrospectively performed microdilution testing revealed dose dependent in vitro susceptibility of the isolate to voriconazole (MIC = 2 g/ml) and terbinafine (MIC = 1 microg/ml).

Modelling the effects of (green) antifungals, droplet size distribution and temperature on mould outgrowth in water-in-oil emulsions.

Prevention of fungal spoilage is a key microbiological issue for the shelf life of fat spreads. Our aim was to assess and model the scope of (natural) antimicrobials for extending shelf life of spreads (water-in-oil emulsions). Production conditions were established to make 60% model fat spreads with reproducible droplet size distributions. The mould vulnerabilities ranged from 1 to 20 weeks. The system allowed feasibility testing of lytic enzymes (Novozym 234) and LMW compounds against Penicillium roqueforti, a key-spoilage mould. The action of Novozym 234, carvacrol, undecanol and dihydrocarveol was benchmarked against sorbate and preservative-free controls under ambient and chilled conditions. Novozym 234 was ineffective to prevent outgrowth of P. roqueforti. Carvacrol, undecanol and dihydrocarveol had limited effects on shelf-life extension compared to sorbate. Fungal growth boundaries of (un-)preserved spreads were modelled. The emulsion droplet size distribution (DSD) was first captured in a mechanistic parameter DSD-I (I = Influence). DSD-I was a move away from the mean droplet diameter D3,3 as sole quantitative droplet-size distribution parameter for mould susceptibility of emulsions. DSD-I is a combination of available water droplets and surface area to initiate and sustain fungal outgrowth. Followup experiments showed that modelling D3,3 and distribution width (e(sigma)) instead of DSD-I gave better results for emulsions with high e(sigma). Empirical predictive models were subsequently developed for the effects of D3,3, e(sigma) and undissociated sorbic acid (HSO) on the shelf life of emulsions.

Case report. Successful treatment of cutaneous Paecilomyces lilacinus infection with oral itraconazole in an immune competent host.

A 59-year-old woman presented to us with an eight-month history of Paecilomyces lilacinus soft tissue infection. She was treated with a six-month course of oral itraconazole. The lesion resolved fully without the need for adjunctive surgery. Susceptibility testing confirmed susceptibility to itraconazole. This is the second case of confirmed P. lilacinus soft tissue infection in an immunocompetent host treated with oral itraconazole alone.