Soaps and Disinfectants / Germicides as Adjunct Antimycotic Cleansing-Agents in Cases of Vulvovaginal Candidasis

Vulvovaginal candidasis is a significant gynaecological infection, which causes extreme discomfort, such as vulvovaginal itching. Using modified agar well-diffusion method, this study therefore, investigates in vitro inhibitory / cleansing potentials of soaps, germicides and disinfectants on vulvovaginal Candida species, especially with regards to vulvovaginal itching. Crusader oil (100%), Meriko (95.0-100%), Tura (88.9%), Tetmosol (84.7%) and Aloe (68.4%) were the most-inhibitory soaps, while in vitro inhibitory activities of germicides and disinfectants at manufacturers’ specified dilution concentrations were C. albicans (Dettol: 34.6%; Purit: 84.6%), C. glabrata (Roberts: 33.3%; Purit: 83.3%), C. Pseudotropicalis (Roberts: 21.4%; Purit: 92.9%) and C. tropicalis (Dettol: 35.0%; Purit: 87.5%), Inhibitory activities at first lower dilution concentrations were C. albicans (Dettol: 80.0%; Purit: 96.2%); C. glabrata (Roberts: 83.3%; Dettol, Purit, Septol, Izal: 100%); C. pseudotropicalis (Roberts: 85.7%; Dettol, Purit, Izal: 100%) and C. tropicalis (Purit, Septol: 87.5%; Roberts: 90.0%) but total (100%) inhibitions were recorded at second lower dilutions, except in Morigad. Vaginal Lactobacillus strains were not inhibited in vitro by the soaps, germicides and disinfectants. Current result findings indicated that certain soaps, germicides and disinfectants posses in vitro inhibitory potentials against vulvo-vaginal Candida; therefore, can safely serve as potential adjunct, topical cleansingagents in cases of candidasis-associated vulvo-vaginal itching.