Protective effect of an oral natural phytonutrient in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: a 12-month study

The aim of the present study is to assess the clinical efficacy of a phytocompound with antimicotic properties (K-712, with the following 100 mg composition: 10 mg of oleoresin from Pseudowintera colorata at 30 percent concentration in Polygodial together with trace amounts of Olea europea) in recurrent vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (RVVC) as compared to an azole drug during a 12-month period: 6 months of treatment followed by 6 months of observation. This prospective randomized study involved 82 women (19-61 years) with complaints of abnormal vaginal discharge and with a history of at least four proven episodes of RVVC in the previous 12 months. Patients were divided into two groups of treatment of 41 patients each and were given: A) Itraconazole 200 mg orally daily for 4 days, then 200 mg once weekly for 6 months or B) 1 tablet twice a day of a K-712 for 4 weeks and then for the first 2 weeks of each month for a total of 6 months. Both groups were then followed-up for further 6 months. Each treatment schedule was well tolerated with only 4 patients in the azole group complaining of transient mild symptoms (nausea, abdominal discomfort, unpleasant taste). Itraconazole reached an earlier symptomatic relief during the first two weeks of observation as compared with K-712 (p<0.05) but both treatments enabled a comparable benefit during the entire treatment study period, afterwards with comparable symptom/sign score (itraconazole vs K-712: 9 vs 11). At 6-month observation, mycological cure was reached by 83 percent in the itraconazole group and in 78 percent of the K-712-treated patients. During the further 6-month observation period without treatment, the itraconazole group showed significantly more relapses (65.7 vs 34.2 in K-712, p<0.05) and at the end of the whole 12-month study period the mycological cure was significantly higher in the K-712-treated patients (65.8 vs 34.3 percent, p<0.05). There was a non- significant trend increase of less drug-susceptible species in the itraconazole group. From these preliminary data it would appear that a natural antifungal phytocompound proves to be as good as itraconazole in the maintenance treatment of RVVC. Moreover, this approach seems to maintain a higher mycological success rate afterwards by reducing the number of relapses and probably of the growth of azole-resistant species.