EOs4Keratitis

Abstract

The main objective of this proposal is to identify effective essential oils (EOs) extracted from Côa Valley native medicinal plants against pathogens causing fungal keratitis (FK) in Portugal. The project aims are: i) Collection of samples of ocular fungal infections from 3 University Hospitals in Portugal – Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, and Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central; ii) Identification and characterization of the fungal pathogens; iii) Evaluation of pathogens sensitivity to currently used antifungal drugs – clotrimazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, fluconazole and amphotericin B; iv) Evaluation of pathogens sensitivity to EOs extracted from Côa Valley native medicinal plants. Overall, this project is expected to be an evolutionary shift in the treatment of fungal infections, as we set to discover a new therapeutic and more effective class, obtained from native Portuguese medicinal plants. This might lead to a sustainable marketable product and significantly improve quality of life of FK patients.