# Morphological and ITS-Based Molecular Characterization of Dermatophytes from Pets and In Vitro Antifungal Evaluation of Muğla Propolis

## TL;DR

This study identifies dermatophytes from cats using molecular methods and shows that Muğla propolis can inhibit their growth in vitro.

## Contribution

The study confirms dermatophyte isolates using ITS sequencing and demonstrates the antifungal potential of Muğla propolis against these isolates.

## Key findings

- ITS-based phylogenetic analysis confirmed the dermatophyte isolates clustered with known strains.
- Muğla propolis inhibited growth of all tested dermatophyte isolates at all concentrations.
- Propolis showed strong antifungal activity in vitro, suggesting potential as a natural treatment.

## Abstract

Dermatophytosis is a fungal skin disease that commonly affects pets and can be transmitted to humans. Accurate identification of the causative dermatophytes is essential for appropriate diagnosis and control. In this study, dermatophyte isolates obtained from cats with suspected dermatophytosis were identified using conventional mycological methods and ITS-based molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolates were closely related to each other and clustered with dermatophyte strains previously reported from different geographical regions and reference databases. In addition, the in vitro antifungal activity of Muğla-origin propolis was evaluated. Propolis completely inhibited the growth of all tested dermatophyte field isolates at the tested concentrations. These findings suggest that Muğla propolis may represent a promising natural candidate for further investigation against dermatophyte infections.

Dermatophytosis is a common zoonotic fungal infection in companion animals, most frequently caused by Microsporum canis, while the geophilic species Nannizzia gypsea may occasionally infect cats. Conventional morphological identification of dermatophytes is often challenging due to phenotypic similarities, underscoring the importance of molecular confirmation. In this study, dermatophyte field isolates obtained from cats with suspected dermatophytosis were identified using cultural characteristics and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS sequences showed that the isolates were highly similar to each other and clustered closely with reference strains and previously reported dermatophyte strains from different geographical regions. Subsequently, the in vitro antifungal activity of a propolis extract collected from the Muğla region (Türkiye) was evaluated using the agar dilution method at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 100 mg/mL. At all tested concentrations, propolis inhibited mycelial growth in all four molecularly confirmed dermatophyte field isolates, whereas substantial growth was observed in the negative control plates. These findings indicate that Muğla propolis exhibits in vitro antifungal activity at the tested concentrations against dermatophyte field isolates and warrants further investigation as a potential natural antifungal source.