Ozonated hemp oil as a new antifungal agent in veterinary medicine

Abstract

Introduction: Microsporum canis is the main zoonotic pathogenic fungi in veterinary. All the conventional antifungal drugs have many side effects: drug induced liver injury (DILI), diarrhea, nausea, gastric pain, gynecomastia, hepatic coma and necrosis, contact allergy. While increasing resistance is being described to antifungals in dermatophytes, new drug development lags far behind. There is a growing need for new and safe antifungal alternatives. Ozonated oils could be a problem solution. They are strong oxidizers and pathogens can’t develop resistance. Ozone is also friendly for environment. After reaction it breaks down into oxygen, leaving no residues. The aim of the present assay was to determine the effect of ozonated hemp oil to dermatophyte M. canis in vitro. Methods: 6 M. canis strains obtained from clinical cases and 8 antifungals (4 commercial drugs (clotrimazole, enilconazole, olamine piroctone, terbinafine hydrochloride), 3 alternatives (Pelargonium graveolens var. himalayica essential oil, Aloe vera, Charmil plus) and ozonated hemp oil) were used in this study. Hemp oil was used as a control. It was conducted using disk diffusion method (6 mm disks) on Sabouraud agar. Results: Inhibition zone of ozonated hemp oil was 22.19±3.3 mm. It was the largest inhibition zone of all alternative antifungals: Charmil plus – 16.88 mm; Aloe vera – 0 mm; Pelargonium essential oil – 0 mm. It was also found that only 3 out of 4 antifungal drugs had stronger inhibition effect on M. canis than ozonated hemp oil: clotrimazole – 54.85 mm; terbinafine hydrochloride – 51.95 mm; enilconazole – 49.77 mm; olamine piroctone – 15.29 mm. Using pH-meter it was concluded that after ozonation of hemp oil the pH value dropped significantly and the final ozonation product had acidic properties (pH 3.59). It was also established that holding ozonated hemp oil in the refrigerator during a three-month period ozo. [...].