A common impediment in the healing of chronic wounds is fungal infections. As traditional treatments may harm both the fungal species and the body’s own cells, clinicians across the wound care field are seeking innovative strategies to combat such infections without disturbing the healing process. In a new study, published in the August issue of leading wound research journal WOUNDS, Bactiguard Wound Care shares encouraging findings on how Hydrocyn Aqua, referred to as a super-oxidized solution (SOS) almost completely reduces fungal strains.
SOS has historically shown effectiveness in wound healing and antibacterial action. However, limited research has been made to investigate its effects on fungi in vitro, which means on human tissues. Bactiguard Wound Care’s investigation involved assessing SOS’s effectiveness against six prevalent fungal species. The study revealed that SOS achieved almost complete reduction of the fungal strains within just one minute.
Dr Ranjeni Krishnen, Scientific Advisor at Bactiguard and research leader of the study, comments: “The results are truly remarkable, they show that we can almost eliminate fungal infections in chronic wounds – there is a huge potential to decrease suffering for millions of people with chronic wounds. SOS is a promising tool not only for preventing but also controlling fungal infections in wound care and if looking at it from an even broader perspective, SOS can be part of fighting antimicrobial resistance.”
Study abstract
Drug-resistant fungal infections in chronic wounds represent a major clinical challenge to clinicians. Fungal infections delay wound healing by prolonging inflammation and encouraging biofilm formation, which protects microbes against host defenses and anti-infective medications. As such, interventions that prevent and control nosocomial fungal infections without interfering with the wound healing process are increasingly required. Although conventional antiseptics can effectively exert fungicidal effects, they also have adverse effects on human cells. SOS is a well-known bactericidal agent that enhances the wound healing process, especially for chronic wounds. However, few studies have evaluated the antimicrobial activity of SOS on fungi. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether SOS exerts fungicidal activities against common fungal species. The efficacy of SOS was tested against six fungal species (Candida albicans, Candida auris, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Sporothrix schenckii, Trichophyton mentagrophytes) using an in vitro time-kill assay. SOS achieved 99.9999 percent reduction of all tested fungi within one minute of exposure. This study shows that SOS may be an effective tool for the prevention and control of fungal infections.
To access the full study, click here
For a brief overview of the study and its findings, check out the short video clip with Dr Ranjeni Krishnen
