Vol 3, No 1, November 2012.

In vitro antifungal effects of some chemotherapeutic agents against fungi commonly isolated from repeat breeder animals


Abstract: The sensitivity of fungi isolated from the female genital organs with or without clinical signs of farm animals that failed to conceive after being bred with fertile males more than two times, to some antifungal agents was determined. Seven antifungal therapeutic agents were tested against seventeen fungal isolates from repeat breeder cows (6 isolates), buffaloes (6) and mares (5) using the disc diffusion method. The most effective antimycotic agents were nystatin followed by terbinafine, ketoconazole, miconazole, fluconazole and povidine iodine. Griseofulvin, on the other hand, was not effective against any of the fungi tested. The minimum inhibitory concentration of nystatin ranged from 156.25 to 1250 IU/ml (31.0 - 250 µg/ml), terbinafine from 78.125 µg/ml to 5 mg/ml, ketoconazole from 156.25 µg/ml to 5 mg/ml, miconazole from 1.25 to 10 mg/ml and fluconazole from 2.5 to 10 mg/ml. The MICs of povidine iodine (betadine antiseptic) ranged from 50 to 100 mg/ml. Fungal isolates belonging to Acremonium strictum, Aspergillus flavus, Emericella nidulans and Penicillium chrysogenum showed high sensitivity to terbinafine at concentration ranging from 78.125 to 156.25 µg/ml. Candida albicans was more sensitive to nystatin and ketoconazole than other antifungal agents. Key words: antifungal therapeutic agents, fungi, cows, buffaloes, mares, repeat breeders.