Comparison of the Effect of Vaginally Administered Coconut Oil and Clotrimazole on Candida Species

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. of Midwifery Education, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Instructor, Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Associate Professor, Department of Drugs Control, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

5 Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

6 Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence of vaginal candidiasis and the number of treatment resistant cases are high; moreover, chemical medications are associated with serious adverse effects. Therefore, the use of herbal medicines is taken into consideration because they do not affect the normal vaginal flora and have low side effects. In vitro studies confirmed the favorable antifungal effects of coconut oil on various species of Candida, especially on the resistant species such as Candida glabrata and Candida tropicalis. This study was conducted to compare the effect of vaginally administered coconut oil and clotrimazole on Candida species.
Materials and Methods: This triple-blind clinical trial was conducted on 71 patients, who were assigned into two groups of coconut oil (35 individuals) and clotrimazole (36 individuals) in Mashhad, Iran, 2017. Data were collected using demographic data form and observation record sheets. The patients received the medicines by applicator for a week. Thereafter, physical examination and re-cultivation were carried out; and the success in the treatment included a negative culture and symptom relief. Data analysis was performed using independent samples t-test, Fisher’s exact and Chi-squared tests with the help of SPSS software, version 19. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: In this study, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the frequency of Candida albicans, glabrata, and tropicalis at the pre- and post-intervention phases (P=0.98, P=0.34, P=0.73, respectively). Regarding the success in the treatment, no significant difference was observed between the effects of vaginally administered coconut oil and clotrimazole on various species of Candida (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Considering the beneficial effects of vaginally administered coconut oil on candidiasis, it is recommended to use it to treat this disorder.

Keywords

References

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Mousavi MS, Keshavarz T, Montaseri H, Pakshir K, Yazdani M, Zare N, et al. A comparative study on the therapeutic effect of the propolis vaginal cream and clotrimazol on candida vulvovaginitis in reproductive aged women. J Isfahan Med Sch 2010; 28(117):1099-107.

The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility
Volume 20, Issue 12
March 2018
Pages 58-66

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