Morphological and ITS-Based Molecular Characterization of Dermatophytes from Pets and In Vitro Antifungal Evaluation...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Mycology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Dermatophytosis is a prevalent zoonotic fungal infection in companion animals, often caused by *Microsporum canis*.
• Accurate identification of dermatophytes is crucial, as morphological methods can be challenging due to similar appearances.
• Molecular techniques, like ITS sequencing, offer reliable confirmation for fungal identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify dermatophyte field isolates from cats using molecular methods.
• To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of a propolis extract from Türkiye against these isolates.

Main Methods:

• Dermatophyte isolates from cats were identified via cultural characteristics and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing.
• Phylogenetic analysis was performed on ITS sequences to confirm isolate relatedness.
• The agar dilution method was used to assess propolis extract's antifungal activity at various concentrations.

Main Results:

• Molecular identification confirmed the dermatophyte isolates.
• Phylogenetic analysis showed high similarity among isolates and with known dermatophyte strains.
• The propolis extract inhibited mycelial growth of all tested dermatophyte isolates at all concentrations.

Conclusions:

• Muğla propolis exhibits significant in vitro antifungal activity against dermatophyte field isolates from cats.
• This propolis extract shows potential as a natural source for antifungal treatments in veterinary medicine.
• Further research is recommended to explore propolis's therapeutic applications for dermatophytosis.