Background:Onychomycosis is a difficult condition to treat and cure rates are disappointing. Moreover fungicidal action of antifungal agents in NCCLS assays and their rapid accumulation in nails in vivo are not compatible with the duration of treatment.Aims:This study aimed to find the effectiveness of 4 different antifungal agents in an in vitro model with some similarities to in vivo conditions.Materials and Methods:Strains of Trichophyton rubrum I-III, Trichophyton mentagrophytes (usual form), Trichophyton mentagrophytes 73, Epidermophyton Flucosom, Microsporum Canis, and Trichophyton Schoenleini which were isolated from the nails of patients, were hired. Inocula suspensions were prepared from 7 to 14 day-old cultures of dermatophytes. Antifungal agents including fluconazole, ketoconazole, terbinafine, and griseofulvin were obtained as standard powders. For each antifungal agent, initial MIC was calculated by registering the optical density for 10 two-fold serially diluted forms which was incubated with diluted fungal suspensions with RPMI 1640. Human nail powder inoculated with different strains and incubated in RPMI 1640 and different concentrations of antifungal drugs for 4 weeks. Final MIC at different steps of 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks were investigated.Results:The final MIC that resulted from the incubation of dermatophytes with nail powder was much more than the initial which was concluded from conventional MIC assay. Terbinafine had the lowest rate of initial and final MICs.Conclusion:The model described here may present more similar conditions to clinical fungal infections; therefore the results such as MIC may be more helpful for hiring the most effective antifungal agent.

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins generated by the Fusarium spp. in foods and feeds. More than 15 isomers of Fumonisin are recognized, and the B series of Fumonisins is the primary and referral isomer of Fumonisin. Fumonisin B can cause leukoencephalomalacia in rabbits and horses and porcine pulmonary edema in swine. Fumonisin B is also nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic and carcinogenic. It blocks sphingolipid biosynthesis (and hinders the synthesis of ceramide) by a noticeable resemblance to sphingosine and sphinganine. This paper provides a review of the toxicity, occurrence, and mechanism of carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity as well as immunotoxicity of Fumonisins, which are primarily found on a variety of food and feed in Africa, America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. In this paper, current information on contamination of feeds and foods by Fumonisins around the world is summarized. Because of economic losses induced by Fumonisins and their harmful effects on animal and human health, various procedures to detoxify infected feeds and foods have been illustrated in this review, including biological, physical, and chemical processes. Additionally, we discuss dietary intakes and maximum limits of Fumonisins in some countries.