title: Growth inhibition of Candida albicans and other medically important yeasts by vaginal contraceptive products.
abstract: The antifungal effects of two commercially available spermicidal gels (Conceptrol, produced by Ortho Pharmaceutical, Raritan, N.J., and Koromex, produced by Schmid Laboratories, Little Falls, N.J.) as well as pure nonoxynol-9 and boric acid (both components of vaginal contraceptive products) were tested against 50 clinical yeast isolates by the agar dilution method. The formulated products exerted comparable dose-dependent inhibitory effects against all yeasts tested. A 3-fold dilution of the formulated spermicidal products inhibited 90% of the yeast strains tested. To determine if the antifungal effect was due to the spermicidal detergent nonoxynol-9, this compound was tested for antifungal activity but was completely ineffective against Candida albicans in concentrations up to 10%. Boric acid, present in at least one of the products (Koromex), inhibited representative yeasts at a concentration of 0.4%. The relationship of pH and oxygen tension to inhibition by the commercial spermicides was also investigated. The pH values tested ranged from 4 to 7 and had little effect on inhibition; anaerobiosis at pH 7 slightly reduced the inhibitory activity of Conceptrol gel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, W. Va.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shubair
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001888:Boric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017137:Nonoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013089:Spermatocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001888:Boric Acids; D013089:Spermatocidal Agents; D017137:Nonoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols