INTRODUCTION
Diseases of fungal origin are among the most well-known diseases that have always plagued humans from the past until now. For this reason, many efforts have been made to identify, control, and treat these pathogens. Among the different species of the genus Candida, there are at least 7 different species that are pathogenic for humans. The most important of them is Candida albicans, one of the most common pathogenic fungi that cause thrush in humans in different ways. Candida albicans is the most important microorganism that plays a role in the pathogenesis of artificial teeth. The use of antifungal compounds is largely limited due to the wide range of side effects. Toxicity and drug resistance are the main reasons for extensive research on new antifungal compounds and their therapeutic effects. Fever, chills, nausea, and kidney dysfunction are some of the symptoms that occur in some cases with the use of amphotericin B. The azole family, such as fluconazole, has hepatotoxicity. Considering these problems, it seems necessary to identify and develop new antifungal agents that have the least toxicity for host cells. Egg white consists of 88% water, 10.6% protein, 0.9% carbohydrates, and 0.5% minerals, and it is heterogeneous. Hundreds of proteins have been identified in egg whites, and several of them have antimicrobial properties. Some of these proteins, such as lysozyme and defensins, cause damage to the bacterial coating. Others act by inhibiting bacterial proteases (ovastatin, cystatin, ovalbumin) or by limiting the availability of key nutrients. Egg whites also contain significant amounts of ovotransferrin, a metal-chelating protein belonging to the transferrin family. It is generally accepted that the key process in the defense of egg whites against microbial invasion is the binding of ovotransferrin to iron, resulting in iron deficiency that disrupts microbial activity. So far, no study has been conducted in the field of determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), lethality, and halo diameter of non-growth of local and machine egg whites on C. albicans fungus. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the diameter of the halo of non-growth and the MIC and lethal concentration of machine and local egg whites on C. albicans fungus in a laboratory environment and compare its antifungal power with amphotericin B.

METHODS
Researchers have used the methods of determining the halo of the non-growth or inhibition zone, the MIC, and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) to investigate the effect of antimicrobial substances. Non-growth halo is used as a qualitative method to determine the resistance of a microbe to an antimicrobial agent. The MIC and the MFC will be used to quantitatively investigate the antimicrobial properties of egg whites. These values show the degree of resistance of the microorganism to the antimicrobial substance and can exhibit the best quantitative estimation sensitivity. In this study, C. albicans species were placed in the vicinity of different dilutions (50%, 25%, 12.5%, 6.25%, and 3.125%) of local egg white, machine egg white, and amphotericin B. The MIC, MFC, and zone of inhibition values of these compounds on C. albicans were determined according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

RESULTS
Based on the results of the tests, the MIC value of local egg whites on C. albicans was 25%, and the MFC value was 50%, showing no colony of the fungus in this dilution. The MFC value of machine egg white was 25%, and its MFC value was 50%. In this dilution, the growth of mushroom colonies was limited to less than 10, leading this concentration to be identified as the MFC. However, no growth was observed in the vicinity of amphotericin B in these dilutions.
The MIC value of 25 µl of amphotericin B combined with 75 µl of local and machine egg whites was 3.125%. Therefore, this combination can have a significant effect even in low dilutions.
The zone of inhibition for C. albicans fungus near local egg white, machine egg white, and amphotericin B was found to be 12, 11, and 16 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Local and machine egg whites have antifungal ability on C. albicans. Demonstrating the antifungal properties of local and machine egg whites against the C. albicans fungus has instilled optimism regarding the potential use of this substance or its compounds as an effective antifungal treatment with fewer possible side effects. Further research may provide the basis for its utilization as an alternative to antifungal medications with significant side effects.

Ethical Considerations
This study has been registered with the ethical code IR.KHALUMS.REC.1401.01 in the Ethics Committee of Khalkhal Faculty of Medical Sciences.
 

Funding
This article is the result of a research project approved by the Student Research Committee, and all the financial support for this research project was done by this committee.

Authors’ Contributions