In vitro antifungal activity of sertaconazole against 309 dermatophyte clinical isolates

Three hundred and nine strains belonging to 11 species of dermatophyte moulds were tested against sertaconazole following mainly the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (M38-P) for filamentous fungi. However, several important factors such as the temperature (28 degrees C vs 35 degrees C) and time of incubation (4-10 d vs 21-74 h), have been modified. Sertaconazole was active against all the clinically important dermatophyte moulds involved in human infections tested. Overall geometric mean MIC of sertaconazole was 0.21 microg/ml with a MIC range of 0.01-8 microg/ml. MIC50 and MIC90 were respectively of 0.25 and 1 microg/ml. Sertaconazole was very active against Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis (geometric means 0.08, 0.13, 0.13 and 0.19 microg/ml respectively). Microsporum audouinii had the lowest susceptibility in the study (geometric mean 0.59 microg/ml). Considering MIC50 and MIC90 these differences were significantly in favor of the activity of sertaconazole against E. floccosum (0.06 and 0.5 microg/ml respectively).