Antifungal activity of marine algal extracts against some pathogenic fungi isolated from human infection-related habitats

Abstract

In the present study, a total of 100 fungal isolates from infection-related environments were collected and identified from central laboratory of Ain Shams University Specialized Hospital from July to November (2022). It was observed that between 100 of patients with fungal infections, patients aged between 20- 70 years old (72 cases), females (56 cases), isolates from outpatient clinics (66 cases), fungal infections with the first infection (84 cases) and single fungal infection had the higher rate of cases (76 cases). Highest number of fungal infection isolates were from personal belongings (34 isolates), urine catheters and cultures (26 isolates), bed sheets (13 isolates), blood cultures (11 isolates), vaginal swabs (10 isolates), bronchial wash tube (4 isolates), and only two isolates from wound cultures. Candida albicans represented the highest ratio (40 isolates), Candida tropicalis (17 isolates) and Microsporum canis (15 isolates). Ethanolic extract of brown alga Sargassum giganteifolium showed the highest antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis (22mm), ethyl acetate extract of red alga Actinotrichia sp. had high antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis and Candida Parapsilosis (18 and 20 mm.), respectively, petroleum ether extract of green alga Caulerpa racemosa showed moderate antifungal activity against Microsporum canis (16mm). TEM showed ultra-structural effects of ethanolic extract of brown alga Sargassum giganteifolium against Candida tropicalis, the rupture of the fungal cell wall which led to deformation of outer cell shape, loss of internal cellular components and shrinking of cytoplasm were observed.