[In vitro antifungal activity of shallot extract and its comparison with miconazole]

Shallots are an important part of the diet of many populations and show some different pharmacological effects in different medical aspects. Some studies have been performed to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of shallots. The objective of this survey was to evaluate its antifungal activities in several fungal species. In this experimental study, after extracting shallot by soxhlet's procedure, antifungal effects of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of shallot [Allium hirtifolium] against 5 saprophyte species [Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium gryseogenum and Alternaria] and 2 dermatophyte species [Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes] were evaluated in vitro. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations [MIC[s]] were determined by broth macrodilution method and finally were compared with miconazole. Allium hirtifolium showed antifungal effects against all the tested fungi with MIC ranged between 0.058 to 0.8 mg/ml for alcoholic extract and 0.26 to 3.84 mg/ml for aqueous extract, respectively. Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations [MFC[s]] of alcoholic and aqueous extracts ranged between 0.1 to 12.8 mg/ml and 0.6 to 68.26 mg/ml, respectively. This study indicated that shallot crude juice has antifungal activity and looks promising to be an alternatative for chemical antifungal agents that have sometimes serious side effects

Study of the effect of environmental factors and conventional antifungal drugs on arthroconidia production in the common species of trichophyton and epidermophtyon floccosum

Background and purpose: Dermatophytes are a group of keratophilic fungi, some of which produce arthroconidia under invivo conditions and these seem to have an important role in pathogenecity. Arthroconidia formation is a characteristic of dermatophyte infection of skin, hair and nail. The present study is intended to study the effects of environmental factors and conventional antifungal drugs on the production of this pathogenic agent in some dermatophytes

Methods and materials: This is a descriptive analytical study involving the research population of patients with dermatophytosis admitted to Razi hospital in Tehran, Iran, during 2006-2007. Fifty patients were selected through convenient sampling, and were include in the study after direct microscopic examination confirmed the disease. In the present study, the environmental factors including the media [SDA, SDA+NaCl 1%, 3% and 5%, Trichophyton agar no.1 and SDB], temperature, PH, CO2 and the conventional antifungal drugs [Geriseofulvin, Clotrimazole, Itraconazole Terbinafin, and Betametasone] were observed for their effects on arthroconidia production in Trichophyton Verucosum, Trichophyton riolaseum, Epidermophyton floccosum Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton Mentagrophytes. The obtained data were analyzed using Chi- Square and student t-test

Results: The highest production rate of arthroconidia occurred in SDA with PH [7.5], CO2 pressure 10% and temperature of 37?C after 10 days. No growth was observed at the temperature of 42?C and in a media of NaCl 3% or higher. Geriseofulvin, Clotrimazole and Betametazone stimulated arthroconidia production but Itraconazole and particularly Terbinafin stopped and controlled its production

Conclusion: The results of this study emphasized the importance of arthroconidia production and its being influenced by environmental factors such as PH, CO2 pressure and media in dermatophytes

investigation on metallic ion release from four dental casting alloys

Element release from dental casting alloys into the oral environment is of clinical concern and is considered to be a potential health problem to all patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the metallic ion release of four base metal alloys. Two Ni-Cr [Minalux and Supercast] and two Co-Cr alloys [Minalia and Wironit] were examined. Nine specimens of each type were prepared in 13×11×1.4 mm dimensions and each of the four alloys [3 specimens per group] were conditioned in artificial saliva at 37 c for one, three and seven days. The conditioning media were analyzed for element-release using Inductive Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometer [ICPAES]. Collected data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan multiple range test [P< 0.05]. The greatest amount of element release was seen after seven days [134.9 ppb Supercast, 159.2 ppb Minalux, 197.2 ppb Minalia, and 230.2 ppb Wironit]. There was a significant difference between the released elements from the alloys after the three conditioning times [p<0.001]. Element release from the studied alloys is proportional to the conditioning time. The Ni-Cr alloys tested in this investigation were more resistant to corrosion as compared to the Co-Cr alloys in artificial saliva. Supercast had the highest corrosion resistance