Study of the Prevalence of dermatophyte in Wasit Governorate and Evaluation of the Efficacy of Extracts of Garlic (Allium sativum)

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence of dermatophyte infections among patients at Al-Karama Teaching Hospital in Wasit Governorate, Iraq. A total of 100 samples were collected, with 88 positive for dermatophytes, yielding an 88% positivity rate. The predominant genera identified were Trichophyton (64.77%), Microsporium (23.86%), and Epidermophyton (11.36%), with Trichophyton rubrum being the most common species (39.77%). The most affected sites were Tinea manum (28.6%), Tinea pedis (22.9%), and Tinea facies (17.1%). Infection rates were higher in females (56.8%) and peaked in the 21-30 age group (51.4%). The antifungal activity of aqueous and alcoholic garlic extracts was evaluated, showing the alcoholic extract's inhibition rate against T. rubrum (35.96 mm) to be comparable to Clotrimazole (46.94 mm). High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) identified eight phenolic compounds in the extracts, indicating garlic's potential therapeutic properties.