title: Treatment of pityriasis versicolor with topical application of essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf - therapeutic pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pityriasis versicolor is a fungal infection caused by Malassezia spp. that has frequent relapses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this research was to perform phase I and II clinical studies, using formulations containing essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus in patients with pityriasis versicolor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phase I study included twenty volunteers to ascertain the safety of the formulations. In phase II, 47 volunteers randomly received essential oil formulations at 1.25 μL/mL concentration, for forty days. The shampoo should be applied three times a week and the cream twice a day. A control group in phase II, consisting of 29 volunteers, received the same formulations but with 2% ketoconazole as the active ingredient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant adverse events were observed in volunteers during Phase I. In Phase II, 30 (63.83%) volunteers using essential oil and 18 (62.07%) using ketoconazole remained until the end of the study. We observed a predominance of lesions in disseminated form, with M. sympodialis detected as the predominant agent identified in cultures. After 40 days of treatment, the rate of mycological cure was 60% (p <0.05) for the group treated with essential oil of C. citratus and over 80% (p <0.05) for the group treated with ketoconazole formulations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Notwithstanding the safety and antifungal effects observed in this study after application of formulations containing the essential oil of C. citratus, further studies with larger populations should be performed to confirm the actual potential of these formulations in the treatment of patients with Pityriasis versicolor.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) - Cuité (PB), Brazil. egbertosantos@ufcg.edu.br
authors.forename: Egberto Santos
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.forename: Fillipe de Oliveira
authors.initials: Fde O
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Neuza Maria
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.forename: Carla Wanderley
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Gayoso
authors.forename: Edeltrudes de Oliveira
authors.initials: Ede O
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D031743:Cymbopogon / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006203:Hair Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008290:Malassezia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006203:Hair Preparations; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D028321:Plant Preparations; D007654:Ketoconazole