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Natural Products: An Alternative to Conventional Therapy for Dermatophytosis?

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Abstract

The increased incidence of fungal infections, associated with the widespread use of antifungal drugs, has resulted in the development of resistance, making it necessary to discover new therapeutic alternatives. Among fungal infections, dermatophytoses constitute a serious public health problem, affecting 20–25 % of the world population. Medicinal plants represent an endless source of bioactive molecules, and their volatile and non-volatile extracts are clearly recognized for being the historical basis of therapeutic health care. Because of this, the research on natural products with antifungal activity against dermatophytes has considerably increased in recent years. However, despite the recognized anti-dermatophytic potential of natural products, often advantageous face to commercial drugs, there is still a long way to go until their use in therapeutics. This review attempts to summarize the current status of anti-dermatophytic natural products, focusing on their mechanism of action, the developed pharmaceutical formulations and their effectiveness in human and animal models of infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Graciliana Lopes & Eugénia Pinto

  2. Microbiology Service, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal

    Eugénia Pinto

  3. CNC.IBILI/Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de S. Comba, 3000-354, Coimbra, Portugal

    Lígia Salgueiro

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  1. Graciliana Lopes
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Lopes, G., Pinto, E. & Salgueiro, L. Natural Products: An Alternative to Conventional Therapy for Dermatophytosis?. Mycopathologia 182, 143–167 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-016-0081-9

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