Broad Spectrum Herbal Therapy against Superficial Fungal Infections

Abstract

Skin disease associated with keratinized tissues in animal and human beings has been investigated. The essential oil of Eucalyptus pauciflora in vitro showed strong antifungal activity at 1.0 μl/ml against human pathogenic fungi, viz. Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum audouinii, M. canis, M. gypseum, M. nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. tonsurans and T. violaceum. The oil has heavy doses of inoculum potential at 1.0 μl/ml. Moreover, it did not exhibit any adverse effects on mammalian skin up to 5% concentrations. Further, we formulated the oil in the form of ointment ‘BSHT’ (broad spectrum herbal therapy) (1% v/v) and subjected it to topical testing on patients attending the outpatient department of M.L.N. Medical College, Allahabad. Fifty patients were selected on the basis of KOH-positive results and diagnosed as either tinea pedis, tinea corporis or tinea cruris. After the second week of treatment, all patients were KOH-negative. At the end of medication, 60% of patients recovered completely and 40% showed significant improvement from the disease. No KOH-negative cases of relapse were observed when patients were re-examined after 2 months following the end of treatment. Thus, the ointment can be exploited commercially after undergoing successful multicenter clinical trials, which are in progress.

Utilization of essential oil as natural antifungal against nail‐infective fungi

“…19 In in vitro studies, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the oil against test pathogens were determined following the poisoned food technique 20 with slight modification. 16 The requisite quantity of the oil samples were mixed in acetone (2% of the required quantity of the medium) and then added in pre-sterilized sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) medium, pH 5.6. In control sets, sterilized water (in place of the oil) and acetone were used in the medium in appropriate amounts.…”

Antimycotic activity of the essential oil of Satureja mutica Fisch & C.A. Mey from Iran

“…13,14 The requisite quantities of the oil samples were mixed in acetone and then added in pre-sterilized SDA medium, pH 5.6, to give a final concentration of oil and acetone mix of 2% by volume. In control sets, sterilized water (in place of the oil) and acetone were used in the medium in appropriate amounts.…”

Therapeutic Effects of Essential Oil from Waste Leaves of <i>Psidium guajava</i> L. against Cosmetic Embarrassment Using Phylogenetic Approach

“…In recent years, plant secondary metabolites rapidly became alternate source of antifungal drugs [6], as they are mostly biodegradable and are devoid of side effects [7]. Work on volatile plant products is gaining momentum [8,9] and worldwide spending on finding new anti-infective agents is expected to increase [10], as a result sales of botanical medicines has been increased in recent years [6].…”