FERMENZA®: A Patented Natural Alternative to Ketoconazole and Zinc Pyrithione
Description
This dataset contains experimental data related to antifungal activity of fermented botanical extracts (FERMENZA®) against Malassezia furfur (MTCC 1374), including zone of inhibition (ZOI), MIC, time-kill assay, and preliminary consumer study observations.
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Steps to reproduce
The datasets in this repository can be reproduced using the following experimental procedures: 1. Microorganism Preparation Malassezia furfur (MTCC 1374) was cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) supplemented with 1% olive oil at 32°C for 48 h. A standardized inoculum (~1 × 10⁶ CFU/mL; 0.5 McFarland) was prepared in sterile saline. 2. Agar Well Diffusion (ZOI) SDA plates were inoculated with the fungal suspension. Wells (6 mm) were filled with 50 µL of test samples (extracts/formulations). Plates were incubated at 32°C for 48 h and zones of inhibition (ZOI) measured using a digital caliper. Experiments were performed in triplicate (n = 3). 3. % Growth Inhibition Calculated as: % Inhibition = [(Zc − Zt) / Zc] × 100, where Zc is the control (ketoconazole or zinc pyrithione) and Zt is the test sample. 4. MIC Assay Serial dilutions (2–20 mg/mL) were tested using agar well diffusion. MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were defined as concentrations achieving ≥50% and ≥90% inhibition, respectively (n = 3). 5. Time-Kill Assay Fungal suspension (~1 × 10⁶ CFU/mL) was exposed to FERMENZA®, marketed products, and control. Samples were collected at 0–48 h intervals, plated, incubated, and colony counts expressed as log CFU/mL. All experiments were conducted in triplicate (n = 3). 6. Consumer Study An open-label observational study (n = 25) evaluated dandruff, itching, flaking, scaling, and hair fall over 10 days using a 0–5 scoring scale. Data represent mean observational scores. 7. Data Processing All values are reported as mean ± standard deviation (SD) from triplicate experiments. Raw replicate data are provided for time kill assays to ensure transparency and reproducibility.