[Sucrose saturated solution bioactivity over Sporothrix schenckii]

The purpose of this work was to determine the in vitrobioactivity of a sucrose saturated solution with eugenol (Dickinson, from Dr. Preston Lab. Argentine) and polyethylenglycol 400 ( Merck, from Merck Chemistry Argentine) over Sporothrix schenkii. This dimorphic fungi causes sporothricosis, a sub-acute or chronic infection that affects mainly skin, showing an ulcerous initial lesion with nodular lymphangitis. A strain suspension in Sabouraud dextrose 2% broth (Merck, from Merck Chemistry Argentine) equivalent to Mc Farland N degrees 5 was used, to which the sucrose saturated solution with eugenol and polyethylenglycol 400 was added. Strain viability was measured by seeding aliquots of the original suspension every 15 seconds after initial contact on Sabouraud dextrose agar plates (Britania, from Britania Lab. S.R.L. Argentine). These plates were incubated at 28 degrees C and periodically inspected during 30 days. The strain was viable until 2 min of contact with the solution, after that time no growth was detected. Fungal death may be due to cellular dehydration as a consequence of the low water activity of the referred saturated solution.