Steroids are a large group of therapeutic agents that have widespread pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, contraceptive, and anabolic effects. Different methods have been employed for their production. In this study, the growth and production ability of Aspergilus nayger selected from the collection of infectious bacteria and fungi in Iran have been investigated in three kinds of culture media, maximum pH and the maximum period to product. Several metabolites were isolated under optimum condition, the main of them was a substance that after isolation and purification by chromatographic methods was studied by mass spectrometry, H - NMR, and IR for determination of structure. It was obtained that the chief products are progestrone and 11-a-hydroxyprogestrone. These compounds have been used as precursor in the synthesis of hydrocortisone.

Considering the nutritional value of pistachio and reports of run<a5ous contamination of this kernel and due to lack of accurate information in this respect, this study was aimed to determine the amount and type of aflatoxinogen fungous contamination on samples.0f pistachios stored in storehouses in kermanshah in 1999. This descriptive study was done on 632 samples taken from warehouses in kermanshah. The samples were divided into four categories of: raw with intact shell; raw with damaged shell, salted with intact shell and salted with damaged shell. Then 158 samples were chosen from each group, The fungi were classified into different groups according to the macroscopic features of the grown colonies as well as their microscopic features on slides. The prevalence and type of fungous contamination were measured and identified and actual prevalence of Aspergillus flavus contamination in storehouses was calculated by 95% confidence. This study showed the rates or fungous contamination was %66 and Aspergillus flavus contamination was %14.2. The rate of this kind of contamination was %26 and %2.5 in raw an salted pistachios respectively.Fungous contamination in stored pistachio was quite extensive and remarkable.To reduce Aspergillus flavus contamination and its known complications further studies are necessary.  

Background and purpose: Ear infection in one of the common problem of ENT specialists and the general physicians. External otitis is a painful inflammation of external auditory metus and earlob. Otitis can be of infectious and noninfectious type, or both. The infection is caused by bacteria and fungi. Prevalence of external otitis is quite more in summer than in winter season. Due to climatic condition of Mazandaran province and its closure to Caspian Sea, tourist spots of beaches and using of swimming pools, we decided to study the etiological agents of external otitis in summer of 1999.Materials and methods: The samples were collected from the patients who were diagnosed clinically as external otitis. Collection of the sample was performed by two sterile swabs wetted in sterile saline and kept in sterile plugged tube, transferred to laboratory as soon as possible to culture in proper media.The patients were visited by a consulted physician also the questionnaires were filled and wet mount with 10% KOH and one smear for staining were prepared from the samples to identify fungi and bacteri respectively. Also the sample was inoculated on blood agar and McConky agar incubated for 24 hours and was followed by the biochemical tests to identify the species of bacteria. Meanwhile the same sample was inoculated on saborauds dextrose agar incubated for 48 houres to identify fungi and finally the identification of the species was done by macroscopic characteristics.Results: In this study out of 101 (59 females and 42 males) cases suspected to have external otitis, 39(38.6%) and 23(22.8%) cases were of bacterial and fungal infections respectively and 16(15.2%) cases were of both bacterial and fungal infections.Most of the patients were in the third and fourth decade. X2 test showed significant relationship between the occurrence of otomycosis and gender of the patients (p<00.5) while there was not significant relationship between bacterial otitis and gender of patients. In 22.7% of cases no organism was isolated, but in same patients the normal flora of skin (Staph epidermidis Corynebacteria and non hemolytic Streptococci) were isolated. The most common isolated bacteria was Pseudomonas aeroginosa in 37(36.6%) cases and the most common isolated fungi were as following: Aspergilus niger in 10(9.9%) cases, yeast species in 9(8.9%) cases and Aspergilus fumigatus in 5(5%)cases.Conclusion: In this study it was found that the clinical symptoms of otomycosis were same as of bacterial otitis but with less severity, but pruritis and stuffiness was more marked in otomycosis than bacterial otitis. So due to similarity of clinical symptoms, it is recommended that the laboratory investigations be carried out to identify the causative agent before treatment begins.

Over a period of one year, 24 soil samples collected from different parts of Abyaneh region in Esphahan were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin producing strains of Aspergillus flavus and A.parasiticus.Twenty-one isolates were identified based on the macroscopic and microscopic criteria. These isolates were present in 50% of the samples and their ability to produce aflaloxin was examined in glucose-yeast extract (GY) agar medium by ultra-violet (UV) photography. In the UV photographs, aflatoxin-producing mould colonies (8 isolates) were appeared in gray or black color, whereas aflatoxin -nonproducing mould colonies (13 isolates) were appeared in white color. All the UV positive or negative isolates were confirmed by thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analysis of chloroform extracts obtained from GY agar and yeast extract-sucrose (YES) broth media. Among 8 anatoxin-positive isolates, 3 isolates produced both aflatoxins B1 and B2 whereas 5 isolates produced only aflatoxin B1.The concentration of aflatoxin B1 in the isolates producing aflatoxin ranged from 0.45 to 2.31µg/g GY agar medium. The results showed that the UV photography in GY agar medium could be used as a rapid and reliable screening test for identification of the isolates.of A flavus and A parasiticus strains that produce aflatoxin.

This study has been carried out to investigate the pathogen microorganisms in different parts of a hospital in Tehran and especially in operating room. The results of microorganism cultures showed that the Staphylococcus epidermidis in the operating rooms air was higher than the other microbes and the only existing fungi was Aspergillus sp.The operating room bed was the most contaminated sample while Staphylococcus saprophyticus and candida fungi were the least contaminating microorganisms. Operating room diurs was well steriled and no contaminations were detected. Operating room pump had only Aspergillus sp. Staphylococcus epidermidis, gram positive bacilli and Mocur sp. were detected in the operating room ground air fan. In sampling of operating room's trolley, the most contaminating bacteria was Staphylococcus epidermidis.

The terms otomycosis and mycotic otitis externa are used to describe acute or chronic intlamation of the external ear caused by or secondarily infected by fungi or yeasts. In the present study 87 patients, 16 males and 71 females, were studied the diseases were more prevalent in 20-40 years age group in both sexes and prevalence of diseases was more greater in female than male. The etiologic agents identificated Aspergillus 79%, candida albicans 15% and other 6%.Itching was most common, followed by hearing impairment, pain and discharge.

History and Objectives: Due to the prevalence and importance of diagnosis of fungi in Iran and considering the difficulties and the economic cost of providing different stains and culture media, the present study was undertaken. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study on 10 strains of fungi including opportunistic, dermatophytes and yeast were performed. The effects of culture media and staining techniques were studied on the modified water agar, Saboraud's agar, mycobiotic agar, corn meal agar, nutrient agar with methods of Riddel, microslide, hole making, Scotch tape, Gram, Giemsa, wright Giemsa, PAS, Wright, Lactophenole catton blue, Kinyoun's acid fast, methylene blue, Calcofour white, Congo red and Acridine orange. Results: The present study showed that Sepedonium, Trichotheclum, Microsporomgypseum, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fungi were etiologic agents in the modified water agar and in the microslide, epidermophyton fluccosum modified water agar and Trichophyton mentagrophyton in Riddel method was grown better than other procedures. Conclusions: Due to the results of the present study, both Gram and Giemsa stains were better than other staining techniques and water agar is selective medium for better identification of  fungi.