title: The In Vitro Efficacy of Essential Oils and Antifungal Drugs Against Prototheca zopfii.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The algae of the genus Prototheca are environmental pathogens whose main reservoir is the habitat of cows. They can cause protothecosis in domestic and wild animals, as well as human beings, with the main etiological agents being Prototheca zopfii in animals and Prototheca wickerhamii in humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of selected essential oils and antifungal antibiotics against P. zopfii isolates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The material consisted of nine P. zopfii strains isolated from the milk of cows suffering from mastitis. Eight essential oils produced by POLLENA-AROMA, Poland, and nine antifungal agents were tested. The effects of essential oils on P. zopfii were evaluated by microdilution with liquid Sabouraud dextrose broth, and susceptibility to antifungal agents was tested using the disk-diffusion method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All used essential oils inhibited the activity of P. zopfii isolates, with MIC values ranging from 0.2 to 10.5 μl/ml. Cinnamon, clove, and thyme demonstrated the highest activity against the tested P. zopfii strains at concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 μl/ml. Of the antifungal agents, the tested strains were the most sensitive to nystatin (100 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tested essential oils can be used to complement protothecosis therapy in animals and human beings.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland. grzesiak_b@tlen.pl.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2338-3177
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grzesiak
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Głowacka
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Environmental Hygiene, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 13, 20-950, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Henryk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krukowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Environmental Hygiene, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 13, 20-950, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lisowski
authors.affiliation: Milk Testing Laboratory, Chodkiewicza 15, 85-065, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Henryka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lassa
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Żeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sienkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011044:Poland; D011525:Prototheca / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: Antifungal agents; Cow milk; Essential oils; Mastitis; Prototheca zopfii strains