Propolis Inhibits Yeast Growth

Onychomycosis or as all of us know it -  fungal infection of the nail, is the most common disease of the nails and constitutes for about a half of all nail abnormalities.Treatment of this condition is very challenging, but propolis can be the answer for so many people with this problem. Recent study, published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, determines the in vitro activity of propolis against yeast isolated from patients with nail infections.

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This study from University of Tehran proved that propolis inhibits the growth of pathogenic yeasts and confirmed the efficiency of propolis as an anti-Candida and anti-Malassezia agent.



Yeasts as Important Agents of Onychomycosis: In Vitro Activity of Propolis Against Yeasts Isolated from Patients with Nail Infection

Ali Reza Khosravi, DVM, PhD,1 Hojjatollah Shokri, PhD,2 Donya Nikaein, PhD,1 Parvin Mansouri, PhD,3 Ahmad Erfanmanesh, PhD,4 Reza Chalangari, PhD,3 and Martis Katalin, PhD31Mycology Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mazandaran, Amol, Iran.3Dermatology Clinic, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.4Academic Center of Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. January 2013, 19(1): 57-62. doi:10.1089/acm.2011.0722.

Published in Volume: 19 Issue 1: January 14, 2013
Online Ahead of Print: September 6, 2012

ABSTRACT
Objective: The purposes of this study were to determine the frequency of the yeast species obtained from patients with clinical features of onychomycosis and the in vitro anti-fungal susceptibility of the yeast species to propolis.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out at the Mycology Research Center in Iran from 2010 to 2011. Clinical diagnosis was performed by direct microscopic examination and culture. Different yeast species were identified by morphological and biochemical tests. An antifungal susceptibility test to fluconazole (FLU) and propolis by the broth microdilution method was performed on each isolate.

Results: One hundred and twenty-eight fungal isolates were obtained. The most prevalent fungi were yeasts (81, 63.2%), dermatophytes (36, 28.1%), and nondermatophyte fungi (11, 8.6%). Fingernails were more affected than toenails (65.4% vs. 19.8%, respectively). The most frequently found species was Candida albicans (38.5%), followed by Candida spp. (23.1%), C. tropicalis (10.8%), C. kefyr (6.2%), C. krusei (3.1%), Malassezia globosa (4.6%), M. slooffiae (4.6%), and M. pachydermatis (1.5%). Of all yeast isolates (65), seven showed resistance to FLU. The average MIC of propolis for FLU-susceptible isolates was 5.8 μg/mL, whereas this value was 12.25 μg/mL for FLU-resistant isolates.

Conclusion: Our results proved that the propolis inhibits the growth of pathogenic yeasts and confirmed the efficiency of propolis as an anti-Candida and anti-Malassezia agent.