Antifungal efficacy of Brazilian green propolis extracts and honey on Tinea capitis and Tinea versicolor

Aim of the study: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Tinea capitis and Tinea versicolor, and evaluate the efficacy of bee products in management of skin disorders in Congolese school children. Methodology: Medical screening and care for skin disorders were carried out in five Congolese schools from November 2010 to April 2011. Hematological and mycological analyses were performed. Of the 2728 children, there were 305 patients with either Tinea capitis or Tinea versicolor. Of them, 242 eligible patients were randomly allocated to one of the following topical treatment arms: 2% Miconazole; 50. mg/ml Brazilian green propolis extracts (BPE); 100. mg/ml BPE; Acasia honey or Vaseline. Oneway ANOVA test was performed to assess the significance of the difference between treatment groups at baseline (day 1), adjusting for age, gender and the severity score of skin symptoms. Unpaired t-test was performed to assess the difference between treatments in terms of skin symptoms improvement, WBC count, leukocytes and erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR) on day 28 of treatment. Results: This study showed that Miconazole (p<0.01), both BPE solutions and Acasia honey (p<0.05) markedly improved erythema and desquamation (vs. Vaseline). In addition, 100. mg/ml BPE, 50. mg/ml BPE, Miconazole and Acasia honey (p<0.05) also significantly relieved pruritus (vs. Vaseline). No major adverse effect was observed throughout the study. Conclusions: Brazilian green propolis extracts improved skin lesions as efficiently as did Miconazole and may serve as an alternative treatment for Tinea mycosis.