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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 7 No. 2 May-August (Supplement) 2009 ˜ı

OP-14

Anti-Onychomycosis of Herbal Recipe of Traditional Thai Doctor, Somporn

Chanwanisakul

1 1 1 1
Pichamon Akarayosapong , Jatsadaporn Boonphomee , Sirijit Jitmana , Wissava Rattanachai ,
1 2 1,3
Doungjai Nilsodsai , Danchai Premnond , Sanan Subhadhirasakul
1
Faculty of Traditional Thai Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
2
Singhanakorn Hospital, Songkhla 90280, Thailand
3
Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla
University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

Rationale: Onychomycosis is a fungal infection often found in the elderly, diabetic and immunocompromised
patients. In addition, the tropical climate in the south of Thailand seems to promote the fungal growth and

severity. On the other hand, this tropical condition is appropriate for plant growth including ones possessing
medicinal effects. To encourage the use and research study of Thai herbal recipe, an anti-onychomycosis of
traditional herbal recipe was investigated to provide alternative medication as well as scientific evidence for
traditional Thai medicine efficiency.

Objective: To study curing effects of a herbal recipe of traditional Thai doctor, Somporn Chanwanitsakul
against onychomycosis
Methodology: This was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial within a 2-month period. Sixty patients
were divided into two groups, i.e., a control group who received standard medicament (clotrimazole 1% w / v)

and an experimental group who received herbal recipe (gurjan oil, plai, cashew nuts and aloe lump = 20:6:4:1).
Results of clinical signs and symptoms, microbiological investigation (KOH preparation) and patientsû satisfac-
tion obtained from these two groups were compared in order to demonstrate the therapeutic efficiency of the
herbal recipe. These were analyzed by using frequency, Mann-Whitney U test and independent t-test statistics.
2
Moreover, allergic testing was examined by applying the recipe on an area of 1 inch on 30 volunteersû arms
(open patch test) and subsequently observing the consequences.
Results: The study revealed that reducing clinical signs and symptoms i.e. the thickness of nail, itch,
pain and the patientsû satisfaction of curing effects of the two groups were not statistically significant (p=0.05).

Laboratory results showed proportions of patients with fungal hyphae negative in the experimental and control
groups were 40.62 % and 18.75 %, respectively. Allergic test showed negative reaction to the herbal recipe.
Conclusions: Research results suggested that the therapeutic effects as well as satisfaction level of the
herbal recipe were comparable to those of standard medicament. Number of hyphae detected cases in the

experimental group was approximately two-times lower than that of the control group. Furthermore, no allergic
reaction was elucidated. Therefore, the treatment of onychomycosis by using Thai herbs could be a helpful
alternative to the currently available antifungal agent.