BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is a member of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membrane and gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal candidiasis remains a significant problem in women in childbearing age, Majority of the cases are caused by C. albicans and recurrence is common in spite of topical treatment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to develop the antifungal agent from the medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea. METHOD: In this study, the extracts and essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare and Illicium verum were examined for antifungal activities against C. albicans. RESULT: Dichloromethane extracts and essential oils from Foeniculum vulgare and Illicium verum showed antifungal activity against C. albicans. One fraction from Illicium verum with antifungal activity was founf out as 1-methoxy-4-(2-prophenyl) benzene. CONCLUSION: Dichloromethane extract and 1-methoxy-4-(2-prophenyl) benzene with antifungal activity from Illicium verum could be the candidate for a new antifungal agent for candidiasis and other fungal diseases.
Benzene ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis ; Female ; Foeniculum ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Illicium ; Methylene Chloride ; Mucous Membrane ; Oils, Volatile ; Plants, Medicinal ; Recurrence ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is a member of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal candidiasis remains a significant problem in women OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop the antifungal agent from the medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea. Method: In this study, the essential oil of eucalyptus, cedar wood, clary sage, orange sweet and eucapytol were examined for antifungal activities against C. albicans. RESULTS: 1. Eucalyptus essential oil and eucapytol showed antifungal activity against C. albicans. 2. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Eucapytol against eight strains and standard strains was 12.5 microliter/ml and 6.25 microliter/ml against two strains. 3. MIC of eucapytol was 25 microliter/ml against eight strains and 50 microliter/ml against two. CONCLUSION: Eucalyptus essential oil and eucalytol could be a candidate for a new antifungal agent for candidiasis and other fungal diseases.
Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis ; Citrus sinensis ; Eucalyptus ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Mucous Membrane ; Plants, Medicinal ; Skin ; Wood

BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is a member of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal candidiasis remains a significant problem in women OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop the antifungal agent from the medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea. Method: In this study, the essential oil of eucalyptus, cedar wood, clary sage, orange sweet and eucapytol were examined for antifungal activities against C. albicans. RESULTS: 1. Eucalyptus essential oil and eucapytol showed antifungal activity against C. albicans. 2. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Eucapytol against eight strains and standard strains was 12.5 microliter/ml and 6.25 microliter/ml against two strains. 3. MIC of eucapytol was 25 microliter/ml against eight strains and 50 microliter/ml against two. CONCLUSION: Eucalyptus essential oil and eucalytol could be a candidate for a new antifungal agent for candidiasis and other fungal diseases.
Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis ; Citrus sinensis ; Eucalyptus ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Mucous Membrane ; Plants, Medicinal ; Skin ; Wood

Hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts from Galla rhois were examined for antifungal activity against Candida albicans isolated from the patients with recurrent vaginal candidiasis. Only methanol extract showed anticandidal activity and the methanol extract was fractionated through silica gel column. Each fraction had not antifugal activity but mixture of three fractions showed antifungal activity. The results showed that the methanol extract from Galla rhois had antifungal activity against Candida albicans and could be a candidate for new antifungal agent. BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is a member of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal candidiasis remains a significant problem in women of childbearing age, majority of the cases are caused by C. albicans and recurrence is common in spite of topical treatment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop the antifungal agent from the medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea. METHOD: In this study, the extracts from Galla rhois were examined for antifungal activities against C. albicans. Galla fhois was extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water respectively and serially. Silica gel column chromatography and thin layer chromatography were used to separate the fractions with antifungal activity. RESULTS: Only methanol extract showed the antifungal activity aginst C. albicans. CONCLUSION: Methanol extract from Galla rhois could be a candidate for a new antifungal agent against C. albicans.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Candidiasis ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Methanol ; Methylene Chloride ; Mucous Membrane ; Plants, Medicinal ; Recurrence ; Silica Gel ; Skin ; Water

BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is one of the normal flora of the skin, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract. Vaginal candidiasis remains a significant problem in women of childbearing age, majority of the cases are caused by C. albicans and recurrence is common in spite of topical treatment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to develop the antifungal agent from the medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea. METHODS: In this study, extracts from roots of Paeonia japonica were examined for antifungal activities against C. albicans. Dried roots of Paeonia japonica were extracted with dichloromethane, methanol, water respectively and serially. Liquid column chromatography and thin layer chromatography were used to separate the fractions with antifungal activity, and mass spectrometric analysis was done to determine the mass. RESULTS: Dichloromethane extract showed the highest antifungal activity aginst C. albicans. Result of fractionation and mass spectrometric analysis revealed that there were six materials: propanal, cytidine, hexadecanoic acid, cholesterol, octadecanoic acid and a unidentified material. CONCLUSION: Dichloromethane extract from Paeonia japonica could be a candidate for a new antifungal agent against C. albicans.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Candidiasis ; Cholesterol ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Cytidine ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Methanol ; Methylene Chloride ; Mucous Membrane ; Paeonia* ; Palmitic Acid ; Plants, Medicinal ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Water

BACKGROUND: Abuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics have resulted in emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, increased nosocomial infections and urgency of developing new drugs effectively coping the resistant microorganisms. Recently infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (MIC=8 microgram/mL) have been reported in both Japan and the United States. Micro-broth dilution method and population analysis method revealed that those strains in Japan were heterogeneously resistant to vancomycin. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 99 MRSA strains to vancomycin by modified microplate-broth dilution method with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. METHODS: Susceptibility and minimum inhibitory concentration of stains of MRSA collected to vancomycin were determined by micro-plate broth dilution method with triphenyltetrazolium chloride solution, one of the growth indicator of microorganisms. RESULTS: MICs of 99 strains of MRSA isolated from otorrhea, pus, blood, respiratory tract, tissue fluid, and sputum to vancomycin were determined with microplate-broth dilution method with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. All the 99 strains showed MIC under 8 microgram/mL, there was no strain with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin. Microplate-broth dilution method with triphenyltetrazolium chloride was simple, easy to interpret the results. CONCLUSION: All the strains of MRSA tested for the susceptibility to vancomycin were susceptible to vancomycin. The microplate-broth dilution method with triphenyltetrazolium chloride was simple, easy to interpret the results and economic, and it is suggested that this method could be applied to the antimicrobial susceptibility tests of the other bacteria and fungi.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Coloring Agents ; Cross Infection ; Fungi ; Japan ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Respiratory System ; Sputum ; Suppuration ; United States ; Vancomycin*

No Abstract Available.
Pneumonia*

No Abstract Available.

No Abstract Available.

PURPOSE: In recent years, the authors experienced a distinctive clinical entity of multiple intestinal ulcerations and perforations in infants. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of this entity, examine th possible pathogenesis and the effective treatment. METHODS: Seven infants underwent abdominal exploration under suspicion of surgical abdomen and were noted to have multiple intestinal ulcerations and perforations without evidence of necrotizing enterocolitis by the members of the Korean Association of Pediatric Surgeons. The clinical courses, operative findings, bacterial cultures, pathologic findings, treatment and prognosis of these seven cases were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The characteristics of this entity are as follows : The initial presenting symptoms were all different. Despite conservative treatment with a broad spectrum of antibiotics, diarrhea and abdominal distention developed and progressively grew worse. At laparotomy, all patients exhibited numerous typical transverse linear ulcerative lesions with pin-point perforations scattered mainly in the small bowel. Histologic evaluations of the resected specimens revealed mucosal ulcerations with neutrophil infiltration, submucosal microabscesses and colonies of gram-positive cocci. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) was the predominant organism cultured from the body fluid. Only two cases, the completely-resected one and the one immediately treated with vancomycin after operation, survived. CONCLUSION: We think this distinct clinical entity exhibiting multiple intestinal ulcerations and perforations is caused by MRSA occurring in infants. It has a high mortality because it is verydifficult to diagnosis in young infants before laparotomy. Vancomycin is highly effective in treating MRSA, so we think the early diagnosis of this entity can make the treatment successful.
Abdomen ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Body Fluids ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Early Diagnosis ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Humans ; Infant* ; Intestinal Perforation ; Laparotomy ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Mortality ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus ; Ulcer* ; Vancomycin