Prevalence and characteristics of Epidermophyton floccosum skin infections: A 12-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Epidermophyton floccosum (E. floccosum), an anthropophilic dermatophyte, is the primary causative agent of skin conditions such as tinea cruris, tinea pedis and tinea corporis. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of E. floccosum-induced dermatophytosis, with particular emphasis on the types of infections and demographic profiles. METHODS: In this retrospective study, patient records from the dermatology outpatient clinic were scrutinized, covering the timeframe from January 2009 to December 2020. Eligibility for the study required a dermatophytosis diagnosis verified by microscopic examination and fungal culture. RESULTS: Of the 4669 confirmed dermatophytosis cases, 82 (1.8%) were attributable to E. floccosum infection. The proportions of male and female patients with E. floccosum infections were 50.0% each. The most common presentation was tinea pedis (39.0%), followed by tinea cruris (37.8%) and tinea corporis (26.8%). The mean age at disease onset for tinea cruris was 38.7 ± 18.7 years, which was lower than that for tinea pedis (50.6 ± 14.2 years) and tinea corporis (53.5 ± 16.4 years). However, these age differences were not statistically significant. A continuous decrease in E. floccosum isolation was observed over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: There was a steady decline in the prevalence of E. floccosum dermatophytosis over the 12-year study period. Despite the decreasing trend, tinea cruris, tinea corporis and tinea pedis remained the predominant clinical manifestations of E. floccosum infection.

Development and diagnostic evaluation of indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for Epidermophyton floccosum infection in humans.

BACKGROUND: Epidermophyton floccosum is an anthrophophilic dermatophyte widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics. It can invade keratinized tissues of humans and cause superficial mycoses called dermatophytosis (ringworm). OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to develop an in-house indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and to evaluate its performance for the immunological diagnosis of E. floccosum infection in humans. METHODS: An in-house indirect ELISA was developed using partially purified E. floccosum antigens, pre immunized rabbit serum as negative control, immunized rabbit polyclonal antibodies as positive control, enzyme labeled goat anti rabbit antibodies and goat anti human antibodies. A total of 50 serum samples from E. floccosum infected patients as confirmed by direct microscopy and culture and 30 samples from humans without history of dermatophyte infection that served as controls were used to evaluate the performance of an in-house indirect ELISA developed in this study. Analytical and diagnostic performance characteristics were determined to evaluate its diagnostic value. RESULTS: The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of E. floccosum indirect ELISA were 90.00 %, 83.33 %, 90.83 %, 83.83 % respectively. The performance of indirect ELISA assay was compared with gold standard diagnostic tests such as KOH hydrolysis test and fungal culture. The correlation coefficients of E. floccosum indirect ELISA with KOH hydrolysis and fungal culture method were 0.612** and 0.826** (P < 0.01) respectively indicating significant correlation between these tests. CONCLUSION: This revealed the great potentiality of E. floccosum indirect ELISA in early, specific and precise detection of E. floccosum infection in humans.

New taxonomic framework for Arthrodermataceae: a comprehensive analysis based on their phylogenetic reconstruction, divergence time estimation, phylogenetic split network, and phylogeography.

The Arthrodermataceae, or dermatophytes, are a major family in the Onygenales and important from a public health safety perspective. Here, based on sequenced and downloaded from GenBank sequences, the evolutionary relationships of Arthrodermataceae were comprehensively studied via phylogenetic reconstruction, divergence time estimation, phylogenetic split network, and phylogeography analysis. These results showed the clades Ctenomyces, Epidermophyton, Guarromyces, Lophophyton, Microsporum, Paraphyton, and Trichophyton were all monophyletic groups, whereas Arthroderma and Nannizzia were polyphyletic. Among them, Arthroderma includes at least four different clades, Arthroderma I, III and IV are new clades in Arthrodermataceae. Nannizzia contains at least two different clades, Nannizzia I and Nannizzia II, but Nannizzia II was a new clade in Arthrodermataceae. The unclassified group, distributed in Japan and India, was incorrectly identified; it should be a new clade in Arthrodermataceae. The phylogenetic split network based on the ITS sequences provided strong support for the true relationships among the lineages in the reconstructed phylogenetic tree. A haplotype phylogenetic network based on the ITS sequences was used to visualize species evolution and geographic lineages relationships in all genera except Trichophyton. The new framework provided here for the phylogeny and taxonomy of Arthrodermataceae will facilitate the rapid identification of species in the family, which should useful for evaluating the results of preventive measures and interventions, as well as for conducting epidemiological studies.

Molecular exploration of hidden pleiotropic activities of azoles on dermatophytes in human tinea corporis infection.

Dermatophyte infections are widespread worldwide and are the most prevalent cause of fungal infection of the skin, hair, and nails. Tinea corporis is most commonly caused by dermatophytes belonging to three genera: Trichophyton , Microsporum , and Epidermophyton. The disease may be acquired through person-to-person transmission, typically by direct communication with an infected individual. Since dermatophytes causing tinea corporis infection are restricted to superficial keratinized tissue, topical treatments are most effective in patients with naïve tinea corporis unless the disease is widespread. Dermatophyte adherence to a keratinized structure is an essential step in dermatophytosis pathogenesis, whereby proteolytic enzyme activity is converted into a particular keratolytic activity that encourages the dermatophyte to use keratin as the sole source of carbon. Despite increasing dermatophytosis worldwide, particularly in the tropics, this research has often been neglected, appears to predominate globally, and presents practitioners with a therapeutic challenge. However, experts supported the use of allylamines in the pleiotropic molecular exploration of azoles, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and wide-spectrum antimycotic effects. Therefore, the current review aims to update and reform this essential subject and illustrate the recent advancement of the hidden pleiotropic activity of azoles at the molecular level on dermatophytes in human tinea corporis infection.

Efficacy of antifungal agents against fungal spores: An in vitro study using microplate laser nephelometry and an artificially infected 3D skin model.

Dermal fungal infections seem to have increased over recent years. There is further a shift from anthropophilic dermatophytes to a growing prevalence of zoophilic species and the emergence of resistant strains. New antifungals are needed to combat these fungi and their resting spores. This study aimed to investigate the sporicidal effects of sertaconazole nitrate using microplate laser nephelometry against the microconidia of Trichophyton, chlamydospores of Epidermophyton, blastospores of Candida, and conidia of the mold Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The results obtained were compared with those from ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine. The sporicidal activity was further determined using infected three-dimensional full skin models to determine the antifungal effects in the presence of human cells. Sertaconazole nitrate inhibited the growth of dermatophytes, molds, and yeasts. Ciclopirox olamine also had good antifungal activity, although higher concentrations were needed compared to sertaconazole nitrate. Terbinafine was highly effective against most dermatophytes, but higher concentrations were required to kill the resistant strain Trichophyton indotineae. Sertaconazole nitrate, ciclopirox olamine, and terbinafine had no negative effects on full skin models. Sertaconazole nitrate reduced the growth of fungal and yeast spores over 72 h. Ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine also inhibited the growth of dermatophytes and molds but had significantly lower effects on the yeast. Sertaconazole nitrate might have advantages over the commonly used antifungals ciclopirox olamine and terbinafine in combating resting spores, which persist in the tissues, and thus in the therapy of recurring dermatomycoses.

Disseminated dermatophytosis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: literature review and presentation of clinical experience / Dermatofitose disseminada e síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida: revisão de literatura e apresentação de experiência clínica

Introduction: Dermatophytosis are very common fungal infections caused by the fungal species Microsporum, Epidermophyton or Trichophyton, which mostly affect the skin, the interdigital region, groin and scalp. Although they do not cause serious diseases, in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus the infection manifests itself and evolves exuberantly, usually with extensive and disseminated lesions. Objective: To review the literature on dermatophytosis in people living with human immunodeficiency virus and to present the experience in clinical care in a patient living with human immunodeficiency virus with extensive and disseminated dermatophytosis. Methods: A literature review on the topic was carried out in the PubMed/National Library of Medicine ­ USA databases, using the keywords dermatophytosis, or dermatophytosis associated with the words AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus or immunodeficiency, from 1988­2022. The clinical experience showed a patient living with human immunodeficiency virus developing AIDS and presenting with disseminated skin lesions. Samples of the lesion were collected by scraping, which were submitted to culture and there was growth of fungi of the Trichophyton sp genus. A biopsy of the lesion was also performed using the Grocott-Gomori's Methenamine Silver stain. Results: We found 1,014 articles, of which only 34 presented a direct correlation with our paper, and were used to discuss the main themes narrated in this article. We present clinical experience in the management of a patient with human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS and low adherence to antiretroviral treatment, showing extensive and disseminated erythematous-squamous lesions with a clinical diagnosis of tinea corporis, manifesting with a clinical picture usually not found in immunocompetent patients. The diagnosis was confirmed by laboratory tests with isolation of the Trichophyton sp fungus. The patient was treated with oral fluconazole, with complete remission of the clinical picture after two months. She was also thoroughly encouraged to use the prescribed antiretroviral medication correctly. Conclusion: Dermatophytosis in patients living with human immunodeficiency virus can present extensive and disseminated forms. The antifungal treatment is quite effective, with remission of the condition. Antiretroviral therapy is an important adjuvant for better recovery of the sickness.

Introdução: Dermatofitoses são infecções comuns, causadas pelas espécies fúngicas Microsporum, Epidermophyton ou Trichophyton, que acometem preferencialmente a pele da região interdigital, da virilha e do couro cabeludo. Apesar de não causar doenças graves, em pacientes portadores do vírus da imunodeficiência humana, a infecção se manifesta e evolui de forma exuberante, normalmente com lesões extensas e disseminadas. Objetivo: Fazer revisão de literatura sobre dermatofitose em pessoas vivendo com vírus da imunodeficiência humana e apresentar a experiência na atenção clínica em uma paciente vivendo com o vírus e dermatofitose extensa e disseminada. Métodos: A revisão de literatura sobre o tema baseou-se nos dados do Pubmed/National Library of Medicine, dos Estados Unidos, utilizando-se as palavras-chave dermatofitose, dermatofitose e AIDS, dermatofitose e vírus da imunodeficiência humana, e dermatofitose e imunodeficiência, de 1988­2022. Descreveu-se a experiência clínica na abordagem de uma paciente vivendo com vírus da imunodeficiência humana, a qual desenvolveu AIDS e apresentou lesões cutâneas disseminadas. Por raspado, foram coletadas amostras da lesão e submetidas à cultura, e constatou-se crescimento de fungos do gênero Trichophyton sp. Realizou-se também biópsia da lesão, corada pelo método da metenamina de prata de Grocott-Gomori. Resultados: Foram encontrados 1.014 artigos, dos quais apenas 34 apresentaram correlação direta com nosso trabalho, e foram utilizados para discorrer sobre os principais temas narrados neste artigo. Apresentou-se experiência clínica na abordagem de uma paciente com vírus da imunodeficiência humana/AIDS e baixa adesão ao tratamento antirretroviral, exibindo lacerações eritematoescamosas extensas e disseminadas, com diagnóstico clínico de Tinea corporis, manifestando-se com quadro clínico usualmente não encontrado em pacientes imunocompetentes. O diagnóstico foi confirmado por exames laboratoriais com isolamento do fungo Trichophyton sp. Tratada com fluconazol via oral, a paciente apresentou remissão parcial das infecções aos dois meses e completa aos seis meses. Também foi exaustivamente estimulada a usar corretamente a medicação antirretroviral prescrita. Conclusão: A dermatofitose em pacientes com vírus da imunodeficiência humana pode se apresentar de forma extensa e disseminada. O tratamento antifúngico é eficaz, com remissão do quadro. A terapia antirretroviral é importante adjuvante para melhor recuperação dos enfermos

Discovery of novel septacidin congeners from a high yield heterologous expression strain Streptomyces albus 1597.

Septacidin is an adenine nucleoside antibiotic with antifungal and antitumor activities. During the efforts to construct a better septacidin producer, we obtained a high yield strain S. albus 1597 by putting the biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of septacidin under the control of the constitutive strong promoter ermE*. S. albus 1597 could produce new septacidin congeners SEP-538 and SEP-552 with shorter fatty acyl chains. Moreover, SEP-624 with an unprecedented hydroxylated fatty acyl chain was also isolated from this titre improved strain, enriching the diversity of septacidins. SEP-552 showed moderate inhibitory effects against Epidermophyton floccosum 57312 with MIC value 62.5 µM, while SEP-538 and SEP-624 only exhibited weak antifungal activities. The structure-activity relationship investigation revealed that the antifungal activity of septacidins is significantly influenced by the length of and the decoration on their fatty acyl chains.

Epidemiology of Dermatophytes Isolated from Clinical Samples in a Hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A 20-Year Survey.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytes are group of fungi that cause superficial infections via enzymes that degrade keratin in human skin. Several factors, including climate, gender, age, lifestyle, human migration, cultural habits, and socioeconomic status influence the prevalence of dermatophyte infections. We analyzed the prevalence of dermatophyte isolates in a hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2019. METHODS: The data on fungal cultures were obtained from the Laboratory Information System of the Mycology Laboratories at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, and were used for the analysis. Fungal isolates were examined microscopically for the presence of specialized hyphal structures and conidia. The Vitek® MS microbial identification system (biomerieux) was used if the culture type was not identified microscopically. RESULTS: Among the 10,021 samples analyzed, 3040 (30.33%) were positive for fungi and only 398 (3.97%) were dermatophytes. Microsporum species was the most common dermatophyte accounting for 50.5% (n = 201) followed by trichophyton with 36.9% (n = 147). The most common positive samples were scrapping (251, 63%) and hair (68, 17%). Culture positivity relative to the age groups revealed a cluster of positive dermatophyte species in children < 10 years of age with 215 (54%) of all cases and among 10-19 years of age with 60 (15) of the cases (p < 0.001). Microsporum species were the prevalent dermatophytes in patients < 10 years of age, while Epidermophyton species were the most frequent dermatophyte species in age groups 10-19, 20-29, and 30-39 years. However, Trichophyton species were the most frequent dermatophyte species in individuals 70-79 years. The percentage of Microsporum and Trichophyton species decreased significantly over time (p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant seasonal variation in relation to Trichophyton species. A comparison between the most frequent species showed that there was no difference in relation to gender, but there was a difference in relation to the specimen type and age group. CONCLUSION: Dermatophytosis was common among children and adolescent with the most common samples were scrapping and hair. There was a significant reduction in Microsporum and Trichophyton species over time.

Comparative Genomics and Molecular Analysis of Epidermophyton floccosum.

Epidermophyton floccosum is one of the most common agents of human superficial fungal infections, compared with genus Trichophyton and Microsporum, it possesses uniqueness in ecology traits and rarely causing hair infections. E. floccosum is so far the only representative species of genera Epidermophyton, and it is known as anthropophilic dermatophytes. To further reveal the genome sequences and clues of virulence factors, thus in this study, we sequenced the genome of E. floccosum (CGMCC (F) E1d), and performed comparative genomic analysis with other dermatophytes. It is revealed that E. floccosum owns the largest genome size and similar GC content compared with other dermatophytes. A total of 7565 genes are predicted. By comparing with the closest species N. gypseum, our study reveals that number and structure of adhesion factors, secreted proteases and LysM domain might contribute to the pathogenic and ecological traits of E. floccosum. Mating genes is also detected in genome data. Furthermore, we performed AFLP analysis trying to discuss intraspecific differences of E. floccosum, but no significant relationship is found between genotype and geographical distribution. Upon above, our study provides a deeper understanding and strong foundation for future researches about E. floccosum.

Antifungal Activity of New Diterpenoid Alkaloids Isolated by Different Chromatographic Methods from Delphinium peregrinum L. var. eriocarpum Boiss.

This paper aimed to investigate the potential antifungal influences of new alkaloids from Delphinium peregrinum L. var. eriocarpum Boiss. New Diterpenoid alkaloids Delcarpum (1), Hydrodavisine (4) and known alkaloids Peregrine (2), Delphitisine (3) were isolated by different chromatographic methods from the aerial parts of D. Peregrinum eriocarpum Boiss, which grows in Syria. The structures of alkaloids were proposed based on 1D NMR spectroscopy 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT-135, DEPT-90, 2D NMR spectroscopy DQF-COSY, HMQC, EI-Ms mass spectrum, and IR spectroscopic measurements. The antifungal activity of the isolated alkaloids was evaluated against different dermatophyte fungal isolates compared with fluconazole. In the case of Peregrine (2) the minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs) recorded 128-256, 32-64, and 32 for Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum, respectively, compared to 32-64, 16, and 32 µg/mL in the case of fluconazole, respectively. The MICs recorded on application of the four alkaloids mixture were 64, 32, and 16 in the case of E. floccosum, M. canis, and T. rubrum, respectively, which were significantly lower than that measured for each of the individual alkaloid and were compatible for fluconazole. In conclusion, MICs of the tested alkaloids showed a variable potential effect on the investigated fungal isolates. Peregrine (2) was the most effective alkaloid, however, the application of the mixture of alkaloids induced significant synergistic activity that was more pronounced than the application of individual ones.

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles in Comparison to Conventional Antifungal Drugs Against Trichophyton Interdigitale, Trichophyton Rubrum and Epidermophyton Floccosum.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis is a globally distributed fungal infection. Treatment failure and relapse is common in this disease. Silver nanoparticles are known for their promising antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of these nanoparticles against common dermatophyte species. METHODS: A set of 30 molecularly identified dermatophytes including Trichophyton interdigitale (n=10), Trichophyton rubrum (n=10), and Epidermophyton floccosum (n=10) were used in this study. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles using chicory (Cichorium intybus) were tested for their antifungal activity in comparison to fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine. Interspecies differences in minimum inhibitory concentrations of antifungal drugs and silver nanoparticles were tested using Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS software version 21. RESULTS: The highest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) among antifungal drugs were observed for fluconazole [range: 4-64 µg/mL, geometric mean (GM) =17.959 µg/mL], followed by itraconazole (range: 0.008-0.5, GM= 0.066) and terbinafine (range: 0.004-0.25 µg/mL, GM=0.027 µg/mL). Silver nanoparticles showed potent antifungal activity against all dermatophyte isolates with MICs (range: 0.25-32 µg/mL, GM=4.812 µg/mL) higher than those of itraconazole and terbinafine, but lower than fluconazole. MIC values of silver nanoparticles demonstrated significant differences between species (P=0.044), with E. floccosum having the highest MICs (GM=9.849 µg/mL) compared to T. interdigitale (GM=3.732 µg/mL) and T. rubrum (GM=3.031 µg/mL). CONCLUSION: Silver nanoparticles demonstrated promising anti-dermatophyte activity against the studied dermatophytes. Due to their wide-spectrum activity against other fungal and bacterial pathogens, they could be a potential choice, at least in the case of cutaneous and superficial infections.

Antidermatophytic activity of some newly synthesized arylhydrazonothiazoles conjugated with monoclonal antibody.

A new series of 5-arylhydrazonothiazole derivatives 5a-d has been synthesized, elucidated, and evaluated for their antidermatophytic activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the newly synthesized products were investigated against 18 dermatophyte fungal isolates related to Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum. The morphological alterations induced by the synthesized derivatives singly or conjugated with the monoclonal antibody were examined on spores of T. rubrum using a scanning electron microscope. The efficacy of synthesized derivative 5a applied at its respective MFC alone or conjugated with anti-dermatophyte monoclonal antibody 0014 in skin infection treatment of guinea pigs due to inoculation with one of the examined dermatophytes, in comparison with fluconazole as standard reference drug was evaluated. In an in vivo experiment, the efficiency of 5a derivative conjugated with the antibody induced 100% healing after 45 days in the case of T. rubrum and M. canis-infected guinea pigs.

Multiple biological active 4-aminopyrazoles containing trifluoromethyl and their 4-nitroso-precursors: Synthesis and evaluation.

4-Nitroso-3-trifluoromethyl-5-alkyl[(het)aryl]pyrazoles were synthesized via one-pot nitrosation of 1,3-diketones or their lithium salts followed by treatment of hydrazines. Reduction of nitroso-derivatives made it possible to obtain 4-amino-3-trifluoromethylpyrazoles chlorides. According to computer-aided calculations, all synthesized compounds are expected to have acceptable ADME profile for drug design. Tuberculostatic, antibacterial, antimycotic, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the compounds were evaluated in vitro, while their analgesic and anti-inflammatory action was tested in vivo along with acute toxicity studies. N-Unsubstituted 4-nitrosopyrazoles were the most effective tuberculostatics (MIC to 0.36 µg/ml) and antibacterial agents against Streptococcus pyogenes (MIC to 7.8 µg/ml), Staphylococcus aureus,S. aureus MRSA and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (MIC to 15.6 µg/ml). 4-Nitroso-1-methyl-5-phenylpyrazole had the pronounced antimycotic action against a wide range of fungi (Trichophytonrubrum, T. tonsurans, T. violaceum, T. interdigitale, Epidermophytonfloccosum, Microsporumcanis with MIC 0.38-12.5 µg/ml). N-Unsubstituted 4-aminopyrazoles shown high radical-scavenging activity in ABTS test, ORAC/AAPH and oxidative erythrocyte hemolysis assays. 1-Methyl-5-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazol-4-aminium chloride revealed potential anticancer activity against HeLa cells (SI > 1351). The pronounced analgesic activity was found for 4-nitroso- and 4-aminopyrazoles having phenyl fragment at the position 5 in "hot plate" test. The most of the obtained pyrazoles had a moderate acute toxicity.

Species distribution of the main aetiologic agents causing skin dermatophytosis in Colombian patients: A 23-year experience at a Mycological Reference Center.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis is one of the most frequent superficial mycoses in the world. MAIN AIM: To describe the cases of skin dermatophytosis and its main aetiologic agents in patients referred to a Mycological Reference Laboratory in Medellín, Colombia. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out with records of patients referred between 1994 and 2016 to the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín-Colombia, because of clinical suspicion of skin dermatophytosis. RESULTS: Of a total of 5628 clinical records of patients with suspicion of skin dermatophytosis analysed, 2780 (49.4%) had a proven or probable dermatophytosis diagnosis, 2774 cultures were performed, and aetiologic agents were isolated in 2576 samples (92.9%). The most frequently isolated aetiologic agents were Trichophyton rubrum (44.3%), followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex (33.3%), Epidermophyton floccosum (12.4%), Nannizzia gypseum complex (5.7%, formerly Microsporum gypseum), Microsporum canis (3.5%) and Trichophyton tonsurans (0.8%). The most frequent clinical forms were tinea pedis (72.7%) and tinea corporis (12.7%). In addition, a group of patients (0.9%) developed mixed infections by two dermatophyte agents and another (4.1%) developed infections in more than one anatomical site. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study are coherent with previous reports where T rubrum and T mentagrophytes complex were the main causative agents of dermatophytosis. However, the increased incidence of N gypsea complex over M canis is worth highlighting.

Antioxidant and antifungal activities of marrubiin, extracts and essential oil from Marrubium vulgare L. against pathogenic dermatophyte strains.

OBJECTIVE: Medicinal plants extracts and plant-derived compounds are one of the natural sources for discovering new antifungal agents, the objectives of this work were to investigate for the first time the antidermatophytic, antipathogenic activities of methanol, acetone extracts, and essential oil of Marrubium vulgare L. grown in Tunisia and its active compound marrubiin on pathogenic for animals and humans, such as some dermatophytes and pathogenic for plants, and to evaluate antioxidant activities of different extracts with consideration to their chemical compositions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Acetone and methanol extracts were evaluated by HPLC, the essential oil was also analyzed by GC/MS. PCL assay was used to determine the antioxidant activity. RESULTS: Results showed that methanol and acetone extracts exhibited a significant antioxidant activity (261.41 and 272.90µmol TE/g respectively), while the lowest one was observed in the case of marrubiin and essential oil. The antifungal activity of different extracts, marrubiin and essential oil at two concentrations (20 and 100µg/mL) were screened against the dermatophytes fungi Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum canis, Arthroderma cajetani, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans, Epidermophyton floccosum and against two fungi strains (Botrytis cinerea, Pythium ultimum). Among tested extracts, marrubiin at 100µg/mL showed about 50% inhibition for T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosum. The anti-phytopathogenic activity was also carried out, only marrubiin had in activity against B. cinerea at the highest dose (32.40%), while methanol extract of M.vulgare and marrubiin are able to increase the mycelial growth of P. ultimum at the highest concentration (45.15 and 40.30% respectively). CONCLUSION: In our study, we conclude that M.vulgare and marrubiin can be used as natural antioxidants and antifungal agent for treatment of skin dermatophyte infections.

Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Nannizzia (Arthrodermataceae).

Phylogenetic studies of the family Arthrodermataceae have revealed seven monophyletic dermatophyte clades representing the genera Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Nannizzia, Lophophyton, Paraphyton, Microsporum, and Arthroderma. Members of the genus Nannizzia are geo- or zoophiles that occasionally infect humans. With the newly proposed taxonomy, the genus Nannizzia comprises thirteen species, i.e., Nannizzia aenigmatica, N. corniculata, N. duboisii, N. fulva, N. graeserae, N. gypsea, N. nana, N. incurvata, N. perplicata, N. persicolor, N. praecox, and two novel species. Nannizzia polymorpha sp. nov. was isolated from a skin lesion of a patient from French Guiana. For the strain originally described as Microsporum racemosum by Borelli in 1965, we proposed Nannizzia lorica nom. nov. The species are fully characterized with five sequenced loci (ITS, LSU, TUB2, RP 60S L1 and TEF3), combined with morphology of the asexual form and physiological features. A key to the species based on phenotypic and physiological characters is provided.

Updating the Taxonomy of Dermatophytes of the BCCM/IHEM Collection According to the New Standard: A Phylogenetic Approach.

Recent taxonomical revisions based on multilocus gene sequencing have provided some clarifications to dermatophyte (Arthrodermataceae) family tree. These changes promoted us to investigate the impact of the changed nomenclature of the dermatophyte strains in the BCCM/IHEM fungal collection, which contains strains of all dermatophyte genera except for Ctenomyces. For 688 strains from this collection, both internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial ß-tubulin (BT) sequences were aligned and a multilocus phylogenetic tree was constructed. The ITS + BT phylogentic tree was able to distinguish the genera Arthroderma, Lophophyton, Microsporum, Paraphyton, Nannizzia and Trichophyton with high certainty. Epidermophyton, which is widely considered as a well-defined genus with E. floccosum as the only representative, fell within the Nannizzia clade, whereas the phylogenetic analysis, based on the ITS region alone, differentiates Epidermophyton from Nannizzia as a separate genus. Re-identification and reclassification of many strains in the collection have had a profound impact on the composition of the BCCM/IHEM dermatophyte collection. The biggest change is the decline of prevalence of Arthroderma strains; starting with 103 strains, only 22 strains remain in the genus after reassessment. Most Arthroderma strains were reclassified into Trichophyton, with A. benhamiae and A. vanbreuseghemii leaving the genus. The amount of Microsporum strains also dropped significantly with most of these strains being reclassified into the genera Paraphyton and Nannizzia.

Fingerprinting, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Cyclooxygenase and Metabolic Enzymes Inhibitory Characteristic Evaluations of Stachys viticina Boiss. Essential Oil.

The present study aimed to identify the chemical constituents and to assess the in-vitro, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, metabolic enzymes and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory properties of essential oil (EO) of Stachys viticina Boiss. leaves. The S. viticina EO was isolated and identified using microwave-ultrasonic and GC-MS techniques, respectively. Fifty-two compounds were identified, of which endo-borneol was the major component, followed by eucalyptol and epizonarene. The EO was evaluated against a panel of in-vitro bioassays. The EO displayed antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli and Epidermophyton floccosum, with MIC values of 0.039, 0.078 and 0.78 mg/mL, respectively. The EO exhibited cytotoxicity against HeLa (cervical adenocarcinoma) and Colo-205 (colon) cancer cell lines with percentages of inhibition of 95% and 90%, for EO concentrations of 1.25 and 0.5 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, it showed metabolic enzyme (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase) inhibitory (IC50 = 45.22 ± 1.1, 63.09 ± 0.26, 501.18 ± 0.38 µg/mL, respectively) and antioxidant activity, with an IC50 value of 19.95 ± 2.08 µg/mL. Moreover, the S. viticina EO showed high cyclooxygenase inhibitory activity against COX-1 and COX-2 with IC50 values of 0.25 and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively, similar to those of the positive control (the NSAID etodolac). Outcomes amassed from this investigation illustrate that S. viticina EO represents a rich source of pharmacologically active molecules which can be further validated and explored clinically for its therapeutic potential and for the development and design of new natural therapeutic preparations.