Efficacy of voriconazole and amphotericin B in corneal preservative media

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of voriconazole and amphotericin B in McCarey–Kaufman (MK) media. METHODS: MK media vials were supplemented with either voriconazole at 1, 2, 20, 50, 100 μg/mL or amphotericin B at 0.5, 1, 2, 10, 20 μg/mL. The standard inoculum of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strain of Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, and Fusarium keratinoplasticum was added to the set of vials. The efficacy outcomes were calculated as ‘viable fungal colony counts’ determined from the samples taken on Days 0 and 4. MK media containing fungal inoculum but without antifungal supplements were used as control. RESULTS: In the voriconazole arm, on Day 4, a reduction in the colony count was observed for Candida albicans (1 μg/mL, 36%; 100 μg/mL, 100%), Aspergillus flavus (1 μg/mL, 53.8%; 100 μg/mL, 80.4%), and Fusarium keratinoplasticum (1 μg/mL, 39.0%; 100 μg/mL, 72.2%). Similarly, in the amphotericin B arm, on Day 4, a reduction in the colony count was observed for Candida albicans (0.5 μg/mL; 99.9%; 20 μg/mL, 100%), Aspergillus flavus (0.5 μg/mL, 65.2%; 20 μg/mL, 84.8%), and Fusarium keratinoplasticum (0.5 μg/mL, 90.1%; 20 μg/mL, 100%). CONCLUSION: Compared to voriconazole, the addition of amphotericin B significantly reduces fungal contamination in MK media.