Nail fungus is notoriously difficult to treat with topical ointments. The reason is that once the nail fungi take hold, they organize in biofilm.
Biofilm is like a thick and robust armor of viscous fluid that is filled with microorganisms like fungi that stick to a solid surface like nails. This armor prevents topical ointments from reaching the fungi and killing it.
Strangely, no study or topical fungi ointments has taken this into account.
Until now, that is.
A new study in the journal Microbial Pathogenesis compared the usefulness (or lack of) of various topical ointments, and found one natural substance that breaks through the armor of biofilm, therefore eliminating nail fungus more effectively than any of the chemicals used in the past.
Propolis is a sticky green-brown glue that bees produce from tree buds and sap after mixing these with their beeswax, honey, and digestive enzymes.
They coat the inside of their hives with it and plug leaks with it. Because it is such an incredibly strong anti-bacterial and antifungal substance, it keeps the hives free of these microorganisms and thereby keeps the bees healthy.
Because propolis has such potent antifungal properties, the authors conclude that it is the best candidate for penetrating the fungal biofilm.
The only problem? Although there is some research that backs its use for nail fungus, the studies are rather small.
In 2018, for example, researchers applied it to the nails of four elderly people, achieving complete resolution in two cases and 70–80% resolution of the infection in the other two.
Another study in 2018 achieved complete resolution in 56.25% of their subjects and incomplete but good resolution in the rest. They specifically verified that propolis could penetrate the nail and the biofilm.