tannins and Mycoses

Over the past few years algal extracts have become increasingly interesting to the scientific community due to their promising biological properties. Phlorotannin extracts are particularly attractive partly due to their reported antifungal activity against several yeast and dermatophyte strains.The micromethod used for the evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) represents an effective and solvent-saving procedure to evaluate the antifungal activity of algae extracts. Here we describe the micromethod for determining the MIC and the MLC of algal extracts by using the example of a purified phlorotannin extract of brown algae.

Topics: Antifungal Agents; Equipment Design; Fungi; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycoses; Phaeophyceae; Tannins

A TaqMan assay for the causative agent of chytridiomycosis in amphibians (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) can be inhibited by phenolic compounds, including humic and tannic acids, resulting in false negatives. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is known to reduce inhibition of PCR when samples are contaminated with these inhibitors. We assessed the effect of BSA in reducing inhibition of the TaqMan assay when analyzing skin swabs for B. dendrobatidis. We found that the addition of BSA to the TaqMan reaction reduced inhibition to insignificant levels. BSA did not appreciably affect the efficiency or analytical sensitivity of the TaqMan reaction in the analysis of standard DNA solutions free from environmental inhibitors. We recommend the addition of 400 ng microl(-1) of BSA to the standard TaqMan assay to reduce inhibition associated with sampling wild amphibians.

Topics: Animals; Chytridiomycota; Humic Substances; Mycoses; Phenols; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Ranidae; Serum Albumin, Bovine; Tannins

Topics: Borates; Esters; Mycoses; Nail Diseases; Nails; Tannins

Topics: Borates; Chronic Disease; Humans; Mycoses; Nail Diseases; Nails; Paronychia; Salicylic Acid; Tannins