Antifungal activity of selenium nanoparticles and selenium disulfide against two Malassezia species

Fungi in the genus Malassezia are involved in skin disorders, including dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, two commonly recurring scalp conditions that are often treated with selenium-containing materials.The antifungal effects of SeS 2 and SeNPs against M. sympodialis and M. furfur were compared.The results showed that SeNPs had higher antifungal activity than SeS 2 against both species.Both preparations were more effective against M. sympodialis than against M. furfur.Post-antifungal effects were not observed for M. furfur after short exposure to either SeNPs or SeS 2 .However, cultures treated for a short time with the MIC or lower than the MIC of SeNPs or SeS 2 showed better growth than untreated cultures following incubation with 1/10 MIC or less of either of the compounds.Brief exposure of Malassezia spp. to less than the MFC of SeNPs or SeS 2 may result in the proliferation of fungal cells that are less sensitive to selenium and may contribute to the recurrence of infection following treatment.