Fungicidal activity of AKWATON and in vitro assessment of its toxic effects on animal cells

Acquired superficial fungal infections are among the most common infections. It is necessary to create new effective and non-toxic disinfectants. AKWATON is a new disinfectant of the polymeric guanidine family. Its fungicidal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes and its in vitro toxicity assessment were determined in this study. The MIC, minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and time required for its fungicidal activity at the MFC were evaluated using the official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, with modifications as recommended by the Canadian General Standards Board. The toxic effects of AKWATON and of four commercial disinfectants were evaluated on rat pancreatic (C2C12) and muscle (RnM5F) cells, using the trypan blue and MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] methods. The MIC, MFC and time required for the fungicidal activity of AKWATON at the MFC were 0.025 % (w/v), 0.045 % (w/v) and 2.5 min, respectively. Cell cultures and the different tests carried out showed that the AKWATON-based disinfectant killed fewer cells than the commercial disinfectants, sparing 80 % of C2C12 cells and 65 % of RnM5F cells, whilst some of the well-known disinfectants currently on the market killed 85-100 % of cells. This study demonstrates that AKWATON has great potential as an odourless, colourless, non-corrosive and safe disinfectant for use in hospitals, the agriculture industry, farming and household facilities.