Broad spectrum herbal therapy against superficial fungal infections

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 mu l/ml against human pathogen ic fungi, viz. Epidermophyton floccosum, Mi crosporum audouinii, M. canis, M. gypseum, M. nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. tonsurans an d T. violaceum. The oil has heavy doses of inoculum potential at 1.0 mu l/m l. 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-positi ve results and diagnosed as either tinea pedis, tinea corporis or tinea cru ris. 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 un dergoing successful multicenter clinical trials, which are in progress. Cop yright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.