Green natural nail polish modified with essential oils to treat onychomycosis

Abstract

Background Onychomycosis (OM) accounts for about 50% of nail disorders in industrialised countries. Essential oils (EOs), aromatic natural compounds, are known for their antimicrobial activity. Objective The aim of this work was to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of seven EOs and a commercial MIX against 10 dermatophytes responsible for OM to select the most effective ones to be included in a preventive or curative formulation based on a green natural nail polish (GNNP). Methods Micro‐broth dilution tests in line with EUCAST guidelines and olfactory satisfaction test were performed to select the best natural compounds previously analysed by SPME coupled with GC‐MS. The same method was used to evaluate the release over time of the active compounds present in the two modified‐GNNPs made by adding the best natural compound selected (the C. citratus EO) and the MIX. Furthermore, to evaluate the preventive and curative activity of modified‐GNNPs, ex vivo experiments on healthy or colonised nails were performed. Results and Conclusions Data showed that MIX‐modified‐GNNP had preventive activity as it inhibits the fungal growth by releasing its active ingredients for 7 days, while the OE‐modified GNNP acts as a natural drug showing cytocidal activity on nails colonised by dermatophytes, but it requires two weekly applications.

A New Potential Resource in the Fight against Candida auris: the Cinnamomum zeylanicum Essential Oil in Synergy with Antifungal Drug

“…In this scenario, discovery and development of new drugs is urgently needed to combat the increase of fungal azole resistance. Nowadays, essential oils (EOs), alone or in combination with conventional drugs, are used to fight human pathogens, including multidrug-resistant ones ( 16 to 19 ). EOs are mixtures of natural substances obtained from the distillation or pressing of aromatic plants with a known antimicrobial activity ( 20 ).…”

Novel transungual drug delivery system for treating onychomycosis

“…Di Vito et al . 14 proposed green natural nail polish which was to compare the antifungal effectiveness of seven essential oils and a commercial mix against ten dermatophytes that cause onychomycosis to determine which ones would be most useful to add in a formulation for either prevention or treatment based on green natural nail polish. Antifungal Topical Composition (2019) (US 10172811B2), which is a topical formulation that incorporates C2–C4 terbinafine, hydroxypropyl chitosan, alkanol, and water 15 .…”