Diversity and Infectivity Potential of Emerging Fungi in an Area of Babaçu Trees in the State of Maranhão, Brazil

We studied human mycoses in conjunctiva, nails (onycholytic lesions) and skin lesions in 100 babaçu coconut breakers of Esperantinópolis, Maranhão (Fig. 1), and studied the ground near the babaçu palms, coconut shells and palm leaves (Fig. 2), for taxonomic classification of fungi by direct mycological and microscopic examination. We also performed direct examination with KOH for human mycoses. After the growth of colonies, these were analyzed by light microscopy using blue lactophenol dye. Colonies of interest were subcultured in tubes of 16 x 150, containing Sabouraud agar medium and subsequently was prepared microcultivation for taxonomic identification. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee in Research of the University Hospital of UFMA. Of the 20 samples taken from the soil, we obtained 13 isolates of fungi, whose macro and micromorphological characteristics of the colonies allowed the diagnosis of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp., and Scedosporium sp., besides others, Fusarium sp. not being found. In coconut shells Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. were found; in almond coconut, Aspergillus niger, A. versicolor, A. flavus, and Penicillium sp. were obtained. On palm leaves we identified Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. (Table 1). Twenty-five nail samples that showed suggestive alterations of onycholytic lesions (Fig. 3) were harvested; eleven positive cultures for yeast, Neosartorya spinosa, and Trichophyton sp. Rhizopus sp. and Curvularia sp. (Fig. 4) were isolated. Seventy-two fungal isolates were obtained from the conjunctiva, the most common were filamentous fungi from 58 (80.57%) breakers and 14 samples (19.43%) were found corresponding to Candida sp., and the Fusarium spp. occurred in only one sample (Fig. 5 and Table 2).