Effects of the association of antifungal drugs on the antimicrobial action of endodontic sealers

This in vitro study aimed to determine the susceptibility of oral specimens and ATCC lineages of Candida albicans for five endodontic sealers, which were pure and associated with two antifungal drugs, and to analyze their effect on the physical properties. For this purpose, 30 lineages of C. albicans, collected from the oral cavity of patients assisted at the endodontics clinic of the Universidade Sagrado Coração, were analyzed. Yeasts susceptibility to the sealers was tested by diffusion on agar plates. Physical properties were evaluated according to the ADA specification no. 57. The pure versions of the Sealer 26, AH Plus, Endofill, Fillapex, and Sealapex demonstrated antifungal activity, with Endofill presenting the greatest inhibition zones. All cements, except for Endofill, had their antifungal actions enhanced by addition of ketoconazole and fluconazole (p < 0.05), and the AH Plus presented the best antifungal activity. The addition of antifungal drugs did not interfere with the setting time and flowability of the sealers. It was concluded that the addition of antifungals to endodontic sealers enhanced the antimicrobial action of most cements tested without altering their physical properties

Poly-ε-caprolactone Nanoparticles Loaded with 4-Nerolidylcatechol (4-NC) for Growth Inhibition of Microsporum canis

Dermatophyte fungal infections are difficult to treat because they need long-term treatments. 4-Nerolidylcatechol (4-NC) is a compound found in Piper umbellatum that has been reported to demonstrate significant antifungal activity, but is easily oxidizable. Due to this characteristic, the incorporation in nanostructured systems represents a strategy to guarantee the compound&rsquo;s stability compared to the isolated form and the possibility of improving antifungal activity. The objective of this study was to incorporate 4-NC into polymeric nanoparticles to evaluate, in vitro and in vivo, the growth inhibition of Microsporum canis. 4-NC was isolated from fresh leaves of P. umbellatum, and polymer nanoparticles of polycaprolactone were developed by nanoprecipitation using a 1:5 weight ratio (drug:polymer). Nanoparticles exhibited excellent encapsulation efficiency, and the antifungal activity was observed in nanoparticles with 4-NC incorporated. Polymeric nanoparticles can be a strategy employed for decreased cytotoxicity, increasing the stability and solubility of substances, as well as improving the efficacy of 4-NC