In this paper the authors investigated a synergistic antimycotic effect between four antifungal drugs Amphotericin B, Fluconazole, Tioconazole, and Flucytosine individually combined with ...Anidulafungin compound. This latter is considered a drug of choice in the treatment of fungal infections; it has good activity both in vitro and in vivo against yeasts and moulds, as Candida and Aspergillus. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro interaction of Anidulafungin in the synergic combinations with previous reported drugs against 12 Candida strains according to CLSI M27-A3 protocol. A synergistic interaction was observed against the most antifungal strains; in particular an increasing of the antimycotic efficacy was obtained from the association between Anidulafungin and Amphotericin B or Fluconazole (Mixture 4:6). In contrast the association Tioconazole/Anidulafungin was less effective on fungal species growth. The antimycotics MIC reduction values were more evident against some strains as C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis.
Aims: To study the interactions between Candida albicans and 12 other species of Candida and bacteria in biofilms.
Methods and Results: The number of cells within growing biofilms in a polystyrene ...tube model was measured after adding C. albicans to preformed biofilms of other micro‐organisms and vice versa. It was also measured after simultaneous biofilm formation of C. albicans and other micro‐organisms. The number of cells of C. albicans within the growing biofilms decreased significantly (P < 0·05) when the fungus was added to preformed biofilms of Candida spp. and bacteria except, with C. parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata and the glycocalyx producer Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When C. parapsilosis, Staphylococcus epidermidis (nonglycocalyx producer) or Serratia marcescens was added to preformed biofilms of C. albicans, the number of cells of these micro‐organisms increased in the growing biofilms.
Conclusions: Biofilms of C. albicans are capable of holding other micro‐organisms and more likely to be heterogeneous with other bacteria and fungi in the environment and on medical devices.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Recognition of the heterogeneity of biofilm‐associated organisms can influence treatment decisions, particularly in patients who do not respond to initial appropriate therapy.
Pomegranate is a wonderful fruit from the paradise which contains a wide variety of precious phytochemical compounds applicable in the fields of therapeutics and health care. Candida albicans is the ...most common etiological agent for many clinical mycoses which could lead to human and animal death. Determination of the anticandidal activity of pomegranate peel extracts (PPE), and application of PPE aerosol as sanitizer agent against C. albicans contamination were investigated. Agar diffusion assay and broth microdilution susceptibility test were applied for qualitative and quantitative determining the PPE anticandidal activity, respectively, versus commonly used fungicides. Aerosolization of PPE using an experimentally designed sanitizer room was applied for examining C. albicans sanitation potentiality of extract. PPE exhibited potent anticandidal activity against C. albicans strains comparing with standard fungicides in both used susceptibility techniques. Methanol, ethanol and water extracts were the most effective for inhibiting C. albicans growth. PPE aerosol was an efficient method for complete sanitizing of semi-closed places against C. albicans growth. Application of PPE aerosol is a proper sanitizing method for preventing C. albicans contamination and growth in suspected places.
Background
Previously, we demonstrated the ability of radiolabeled antibodies recognizing the cryptococcal polysaccharide capsule to kill
Cryptococcus neoformans
both in vitro and in infected mice. ...This approach, known as radioimmunotherapy (RIT), uses the exquisite ability of antibodies to bind antigens to deliver microbicidal radiation. To create RIT reagents which would be efficacious against all major medically important fungi, we have selected monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to common surface fungal antigens such as heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), which is found on the surface of diverse fungi; beta (1,3)-glucan, which is a major constituent of fungal cell walls; ceramide which is found at the cell surface, and melanin, a polymer present in the fungal cell wall.
Methods
MAbs 4E12, an IgG2a to fungal HSP60; 2G8, an IgG2b to beta-(1,3)-glucan; and 6D2, an IgM to melanin, were labeled with the alpha particle emitting radionuclide 213-Bismuth (
213
Bi) using the chelator CHXA”. B11, an IgM antibody to glucosylceramide, was labeled with the beta emitter 188-Rhenium (
188
Re). Model organisms
Cryptococcus neoformans
and
Candida albicans
were used to assess the cytotoxicity of these compounds after exposure to either radiolabeled mAbs or controls.
Results
213
Bi-mAbs to HSP60 and to the beta-(1,3)-glucan each reduced the viability of both fungi by 80–100%. The
213
Bi-6D2 mAb to melanin killed 22% of
C. neoformans
, but did not kill
C. albicans
. B11 mAb against fungal ceramide was effective against wild-type
C. neoformans
, but was unable to kill a mutant lacking the ceramide target. Unlabeled mAbs and radiolabeled irrelevant control mAbs caused no killing.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that it is feasible to develop RIT against fungal pathogens by targeting common antigens and such an approach could be developed against fungal diseases for which existing therapy is unsatisfactory.
...this microorganism is an opportunistic pathogen that may cause disease in immunocompromised subjects such as patients with diabetes or human immunodeficiency virus infection, elderly people, and ...chronic denture wearers with poor oral hygiene.3 C. albicans is a polymorph microorganism that exists as an ovoid yeast, as an elongated oval cell with a constriction at their septum (pseudohypha), or as a true hypha with parallel membrane.4 Survival of C. albicans both as yeast and as hypha depends on environmental factors such as temperature, pH, level of carbon dioxide, and the presence of serum that stimulates the growth of the hypha. Xanthorrhizol content in the Javanese turmeric volatile oil is around 64.8%.10 Xanthorrhizol was shown to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and antibiotic effects.11 Inhibitory effect of Xanthorrhizol against planctonic C. albicans was demonstrated at concentrations of 1-15 pg/mL.12 Another report described the efficacy of Xanthorrhizol in reducing C. albicans biofilm formation at the adhesion, intermediate, and maturation phases. 7 In our previous studies, we demonstrated that the Javanese turmeric ethanol extract inhibits the growth of dual Streptococcus species biofilm and eradicates the initial phase of C. albicans biofilm.13,14 Inhibition of the development of C. albicans biofilm from reaching the more mature phase is known to weaken the virulence of the yeast and increase the efficacy of antifungal agents. ...it is important to further study the potency of Javanese turmeric extract against intermediate and maturation phases of C. albicans biofilm. Minimum Biofilm Inhibition Concentration (MBIC) of Javanese turmeric ethanol extract against intermediate phase C. albicans biofilm As shown in Figure 1, Javanese turmeric ethanol extract at concentrations of 35%, 40%, and 45% inhibited >50% growth of intermediate phase C. albicans biofilm. ...the MBIC50 of the extract against intermediate C. albicans biofilm was 35%. ...statistical analysis showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in inhibition percentage between nystatin and the extract at 35%, 40%, and 45% concentrations. ...it could be considered that starting at 35%, the Javanese turmeric ethanol extract has a similar effect as that of nystatin in inhibiting the growth of intermediate phase biofilm of C. albicans.
The gels of
Aloe
species contain immunomodulatory components such as aloctin A and acemannan. Most studies on these gels were performed in
in vitro
cell culture systems. Although several studies ...examined their immunomodulatory activity
in vivo
, the route of administration was intraperitoneal or intramuscular. Here, we evaluated the
in vivo
immunomodulatory activity of processed
Aloe vera
gel (PAG) in mice. Oral administration of PAG significantly reduced the growth of
C. albicans
in the spleen and kidney following intravenous injection of
C. albicans
in normal mice. PAG administration also reduced the growth of
C. albicans
in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. PAG administration did not increase ovalbumin (OVA)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation in normal mice, but did increase it in high-fat-diet induced diabetic mice. These findings provide the first clear evidence for the immunomodulatory activity of orally administered
Aloe vera
gel.
In view of the continuous threat of opportunistic fungal infections to human health and the emerging importance of ionic liquids in therapeutic applications, we report the efficient one‐pot synthesis ...of a series of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide RMIMBr ionic liquids through an ultrasound‐assisted reaction of 1‐methylimidazole and alkyl bromides (RBr) under solvent‐free conditions. High product yields were obtained for all syntheses (>95%) under mild conditions (2‐5 hours at 20‐40 °C). The success of the synthetic method was confirmed through 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy. All products exhibited activity against the fungus C. albicans with clotrimazole and water as positive and negative controls, respectively. At a concentration of 1%, OMIMBr IL exhibited an antimycotic activity with an index of 1.5 which is comparable to that of 1% clotrimazole having an antimicrobial index of 1.3, signifying the potential of the product as a fungal growth inhibitor. Structure‐Activity Relationship (SAR) studies showed that an increase in the alkyl chain length corresponds to an increase in the antifungal activity of the ionic liquids.
A series of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide RMIMBr ionic liquids were efficiently prepared by a solvent‐free sonochemical synthetic protocol. All products exhibited activity against the fungus C. albicans. Results showed that an increase in the length of alkyl chain substitutent corresponds to an increase in bioactivity of the synthesized compounds.
Candida
sp contributes 33.1 % of fungal infections among HIV patients. Among the species of the genus Candida,
Candida albicans
is the most frequently isolated from HIV patients. This study aimed to ...analyze putative virulence factors of
C. albicans
isolated from oral cavities of HIV infected patients and healthy individuals. Twenty isolates from HIV infected patients and fourteen from healthy individuals were analyzed for phenotypic switching, cell growth rate, hyphae formation, hemolytic activity and biofilm formation characteristics. The frequency of phenotypic switching was low in both groups. The cell growth rate of
C. albicans
from HIV infected patients were significantly higher than those from healthy individuals (p < 0.001). After 48 h incubation, the concentration of
C. albicans
isolated from HIV infected patients was 8.6 × 10
6
cells/ml while the concentration of
C. albicans
isolated from healthy individuals was 7.8 × 10
6
cells/ml. After 72 h incubation, the concentration of
C. albicans
isolated from HIV infected patients was 9.5 × 10
6
cells/ml while the concentration of
C. albicans
isolated from healthy individuals was 8.2 × 10
6
cells/ml. In contrast, the hemolytic activity of
C. albicans
isolated from healthy individuals were significantly higher compared to those from HIV infected patients (p < 0.001) at both aerobic (6 vs. 3.5 mm) and anaerobic (3.8 vs. 1.3 mm) conditions. The percentages of hyphae forming cells were higher in
C. albicans
collected from HIV infected patients (27.5 %) compared to the healthy individual group (14.7 %). However, this trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.1).
Candida albicans
isolated from HIV infected patients have similar ability to develop biofilms compared to those from healthy individuals. (OR = 4.2; 95 % CI 0.724–26.559). The virulence factors of
C. albicans
isolated from HIV infected patients were not significantly different from those of healthy individuals. The results add new insights into the contribution of virulence factors in the pathogenesis of
C. albicans
infection in HIV infected patients.
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