Influence of Carbohydrates on the Growth of Microsporum canis, a Keratinophylic Fungus

During our investigation, some fungal species were isolated which are Keratinophilic and dermatophytic. This group of fungi are potentially pathogenic, causing so many skin diseases in human beings and animals, such as ringworms, mycoses, moniliasis, histoplasmosis, dermatophytosis, maduromycosis, aspergillosis, candidiasis etc. Among twenty eight different fungal isolates from different keratin containing materials such as feathers, nails, hairs (Nigam and Kushwaha 1989) and soils from different localities of Patna, Microsporum canis had been selected to see the influence of different carbohydrates on the growth of the fungus. Carbohydrates play a major role in promoting our health, they form a major part of our food and help a great deal in building strength in the body by way of generating energy and obviously it will also affect the growth of fungus also. So in this project we had analysed the growth of Microsporum canis on about about 15 different carbohydrates as Laevulose, Glucose, Xylose, Dextrose, Fructose, Sucrose, Maltose, Lactose, Raffinose, Sarbose, Pectin, Cellulose, Starch, Mannitol, Sorbitol and one control. A very significant result occurred.