Pharmacy

Developing a modified mycological culture medium for Malassezia furfur by supplementing sabouraud dextrose agar with extracted lipid oil from egg yolk

2026-03-31T05:49:43Z

Developing a modified mycological culture medium for Malassezia furfur by supplementing sabouraud dextrose agar with extracted lipid oil from egg yolk Sivasinthujah, S.; Shalini, R.; Kannathasan, S.; Gnanakarunyan, T.J. Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) is a lipophilic yeast that is associated with a variety of superficial and systemic dermatological conditions, including pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic eczema. Though it’s a clinically important etiological agent, in vitro research has been insufficient due to a lack of convenient culture media to isolate and subculture the organism. This study was aimed at developing a modified mycological culture medium for M. furfur by supplementing sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) with extracted lipid oil from egg yolk. Malassezia furfur was isolated from Pityriasis versicolor patients attending Teaching Hospital Jaffna, in SDA with ghee (10%) media, and its presence was confirmed using microscopic, macroscopic, and biochemical examinations. Egg yolk oil was extracted by the solvent extraction method. SDA culture plates with different volumes of egg yolk oil (2x, x, x/2, x/4, x/8, and x/16; x refers to egg yolk oil extracted from one egg yolk) were streaked with confirmed colonies of M. furfur and incubated at 32 °C. Additionally, the optimal growth temperature and the impact of additives such as Na₂HPO₄, NaCl, and MgSO₄ were evaluated. Growth level (5-point scale), isolation, and isolated colony size (mm) were taken on the 3rd and 5th days of incubation. Furthermore, the growth of M. furfur in the modified culture medium, incorporating all optimized conditions, was assessed and compared with traditional agar formulations like SDA and SDA supplemented with ghee. The isolated colony size was reported as the mean and standard deviation (SD), and the data were subjected to examination by analysis of variance (ANOVA) (P<0.05) followed by Tukey’s test (α = 0.05) by using software, SPSS Statistics version 21.0. The volume of oil extracted from one egg yolk and the yield in of oil were 2 mL and 33.33 % respectively. Among the tested concentrations of egg yolk lipid oil, the x/8 was selected as the minimal volume required for optimal growth of M. furfur. The organism exhibited optimal growth at 32 °C. Furthermore, supplementation with Na₂HPO₄, NaCl, and MgSO₄ significantly enhanced growth. In the comparative study, the modified culture medium demonstrated better performance compared to the other existing culture media.

Formulation development and evaluation of polyherbal gel for bacterial skin infection

2026-03-05T03:47:47Z

Formulation development and evaluation of polyherbal gel for bacterial skin infection Janith, U.I.P.; Imesha, P.D.; Nimesh, K.M.S.G.; Ganakarunyan, T.; Dilakshana, K.; Sathya, S. Bacterial skin infections are common among hospitalised patients, for which topical antibiotics are used. Antibiotic resistance, toxicity and high cost have led to the need for the development of herbal formulations that are comparatively safer and less expensive. Using herbal gel for topical application ensures faster release of active ingredients at the site of action. This study aims to formulate a topical antibacterial polyherbal gel containing leaf extracts of Atalantia ceylanica, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Azadirachta indica, and gel extract of Aloe vera and evaluate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A polyherbal gel with carbopol 940 gel base containing Aloe vera gel with 1% methanolic leaf extracts of A. ceylanica, O. tenuiflorum and A. indica in the ratio of 1:1:3 was formulated and evaluated for antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method against Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa) bacteria using gentamicin (20 μg/mL) as the positive control. Physical parameters (organoleptic characteristics, pH, spreadability, viscosity) of the prepared gel formulations were evaluated at both room temperature (RT) and 4 oC for 21 days. A green colour gel with an initial pH of 6.94±0.01, spreadability of 38.09±0.02 g.cm/s and a viscosity of 51.7% was formulated. pH and spreadability of the gel kept in both RT and refrigerator (4 oC) remained constant throughout the study period. The gel formulation (100 mg/ml) exhibited a zone of inhibition against S. aureus (24.77±1.71 mm), but not against P. aeruginosa. Therefore, this gel formulation can be further evaluated for its antibacterial potential to formulate a promising topical antibacterial gel for S. aureus skin infections.

Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of Abelmoschus esculentus pods and Salvia hispanica L. seeds against Candida albicans

2026-03-05T03:20:40Z

Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of Abelmoschus esculentus pods and Salvia hispanica L. seeds against Candida albicans Faseeha, M.F.F.; Mafrina, M.I.F.; Mufees, K.R.M.; Gnanakarunyan, T.J.; Dilakshana, K.; Sathya, S. Introduction: Candidiasis, which is caused by Candida albicans, is becoming a global health concern due to the emergence of resistant strains to antifungal drugs. It led to the need for alternative treatment approaches. Nowadays, herbal plant extracts that contain various bioactive constituents serve as promising antifungal agents. Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) pods and Salvia hispanica L. (Chia) seeds possess various biological properties. Despite these activities, the antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of A. esculentus pods and S. hispanica L. seeds against C. albicans has not been investigated so far. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of methanolic extracts of pods of A. esculentus and seeds of S. hispanica L. to assess their antifungal activity against standard C. albicans ATCC 10231T. Methodology: Methanolic extracts of A. esculentus pods and S. hispanica L. seeds were prepared by maceration and tested for the antifungal activity against the standard strain of C. albicans ATCC 10231T using Sabouraud Dextrose Broth microdilution assay. Serial two-fold dilutions of A. esculentus (40 mg/mL–0.019 mg/mL) and S. hispanica L (2.5 mg/mL–1.22 μg/mL) extracts were tested in duplicate to determine the MIC, where miconazole was used as the positive control. Results: Both methanolic plant extracts exhibited detectable antifungal activity against C. albicans, with the MIC values of 312.5 μg/mL for S. hispanica L. seed extract and 2.5 mg/mL for A. esculentus pod extract, which were higher than that of the standard drug miconazole with an MIC of 0.5 μg/mL. Conclusion/s: This study provides the first report on the MIC of methanolic extracts of A. esculentus pods and S. hispanica L. seeds against C. albicans. Although their antifungal activity is lower than that of standard antifungal drug, the findings offer preliminary evidence supporting the potential role of these plant extracts in antifungal phytotherapy research.

Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of Methanolic Extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Bark and Curcuma longa Rhizome

2026-03-05T03:14:19Z

Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of Methanolic Extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Bark and Curcuma longa Rhizome Doranegama, W.M.A.P.M.; Thupaksiga, B.; Kasthuriarachchi, K.A.S.T.; Gamage, G.G.O.K.; Gnanakarunyan, T.; Dilakshana, K.; Sathya, S. Background: The combination of plant extracts has shown significant potential in enhancing antimicrobial efficacy through synergistic interactions. Such combinations may offer improved therapeutic outcomes, multitarget actions, reduced toxicity, lower dosage requirements, decreased resistance development, and wider activity against many pathogens. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Sri Lankan cinnamon) and Curcuma longa (turmeric) are rich in phytochemicals and are renowned for their antibacterial properties. However, the type of pharmacodynamic interaction between the methanolic extracts from the bark of C. zeylanicum and the rhizome of C. longa grown in Sri Lanka, has not yet been investigated. Objective: To evaluate the synergistic antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of Sri Lankan C. zeylanicum bark and C. longa rhizome Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of methanolic extracts were evaluated using the broth microdilution method, using Muller Hinton broth in a 96 well plate across the concentrations ranging from 100 mg/mL to 0.195 mg/mL with each concentration in triplicates. The synergistic antibacterial activity was determined using the checkerboard microdilution method and quantified by calculating the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi) against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Results: The MIC of C. zeylanicum extract for both S. aureus and E. coli was 3.125 mg/mL. For C. longa, the MIC was 25 mg/mL against S. aureus and 50 mg/mL against E. coli. Synergistic and additive effects were observed with FICi ranging from 0.25 to 0.625. The MICs at which synergistic effects observed were at 0.781 and 0.097 mg/mL of C. zeylanicum for both bacteria; for C. longa, the MICs were 25 and 12.5 mg/mL for E. coli and 12.5 and 6.25 mg/mL for S. aureus. Further, additive effects were observed at 0.195, 0.390 and 1.562 mg/mL of C. zeylanicum for both bacteria; for C. longa, the MICs were 25 and 6.25 mg/mL for E. coli and 12.5 and 3.125 mg/mL for S. aureus. Conclusions: The combination of methanolic extracts of C. zeylanicum bark and C. longa rhizome demonstrated both synergistic and additive antibacterial effects against both S. aureus and E. coli.