Antifungal properties of Salvadora persica and Juglans regia L. extracts against oral Candida strains.

We report in this work, and for the first time, the potent antifungal activities of Salvadora persica and Juglans regia L. on different Candida species. Methanol, ethyl acetate, and diluted acetone extracts of S. persica (fresh and dry plant) and J. regia L. were screened for in vitro activity against some Candida species. These plants were selected due to their traditional use for the treatment of oral infections. Plant preparations were screened for antifungal activity using a standard agar disc diffusion assay. Following study of the antifungal activity of plant extracts, their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values were determined using broth microdilution assay. Among S. persica and J. regia L. extracts, ethyl acetate J. regia L. extract had potent antifungal activity against all Candida strains. The MIC values of the J. regia L. against Candida strains ranged from 0.006 to 0.195 mg/ml. Two C. albicans strains showed a high MIC value (3.125 mg/ml). These results indicate that extracts can contain compounds with therapeutic potential against Candida strains and, hence, their possible use as therapeutic agents.

High potential of adhesion to abiotic and biotic materials in fish aquaculture facility by Vibrio alginolyticus strains.

AIMS: The ability of Vibrio alginolyticus strains isolated from Sparus aurata and Dicentrarchus labrax nursery to adhere to epithelial cell lines (Hep-2 and Caco-2), fish mucus and their ability to form a biofilm on different surfaces (glass, polystyrene, polyethylene and polyvinyl-chloride) was investigated in this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The extracellular products were rich in enzymes and the strains were haemolytic on Wagatsuma agar and possessed several hydrolytic exoenzymes such as proteases, DNase and lipases. Most strains tested were multiresistant to the 17 antibiotics tested including those used in the farm to treat vibriosis. CONCLUSIONS: These bacteria were able to form a biofilm on all the surfaces tested and the cell density was the highest on the PVC surface followed by that on the glass slides, polystyrene and the polyethylene surface. More than 50% of the tested strains were adhesive to the epithelial cell lines (Hep-2 and Caco-2). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These properties allow these bacteria to survive, proliferate and persist in all stages of fish rearing nursery even after seawater treatment with UV light.