Evaluation of the Biological Activity of a New Hydrocortisone Derivative against Some Pathogenic Skin Fungi

The resistance of different types of fungi against ordinary antifungal drugs has been widely reported. The continuous search for a new compound with effective antifungal properties is therefore important and continuous. The present descriptive study aims to estimate the effectiveness of a new compound (HCX), prepared from the reaction of hydrocortisone with cefotaxime, as an in vitro antifungal drug. Five pathogenic fungi samples (Mentagrophytes canis, Mentagrophytes gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophyte, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton verrucosum) were collected in this study. The antifungal activity of the HCX was determined via agar dilution method using three different concentrations of HCX (1, 2, and 3 μg/mL, respectively). The inhibition efficacy of each HCX concentration on the fungus growth was expressed as the mean inhibition percentage and the mean inhibition concentration. The results indicate the effective inhibition of growth of the fungi, especially at higher concentrations of the HCX compound. At 3 μg/mL of HCX concentration, 100% inhibition occurred, except in the case of M. canis, which was at 77.8% at the relatively lower concentration of 1%. The new compound, formed from the reaction between cefotaxime and hydrocortisone (HCX), has the ability to inhibit the growth of five types of dermatophytes in low doses, comparable to well-known antifungal drugs.