Abstract
Aim To evaluate the efficacy of different brands of cigarettes in the preparation of tobacco agar, for the differentiation of these related yeasts. Methodology. Tobacco agar was prepared using six brands and four varieties of cigarettes, and 125 clinical isolates previously identified by PCR and Maldi-Tof were used. To determine whether the results of the microbiological tests were associated with similarities in the chemical components of cigarettes, thin-layer chromatography was performed. Results Candida dubliniensis colonies presented hue differences according to the incubation temperature and the brand or variety of cigarette used, except in the tobacco agar produced with Marlboro Xpress cigarette, where its differentiation was not possible. The chromatograms showed few differences among apolar and medium polarity extract components. Conclusions Tobacco agar is a low-cost tool used for the differentiation of Candida dubliniensis; however, incubation temperature and cigarette brand affect the performance of the media. No relationship was found between the microbiological results and the chemical similarity of the extracts of the cigarettes by chromatography.
Highlights
IntroductionCandida albicans is the main human fungal pathogen; Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana (a biovariety of C. albicans) are emerging yeasts gaining clinical and epidemiological relevance that share morphological and physiological characteristics, forming the Candida albicans complex [1, 2]
Candida albicans is the main human fungal pathogen; Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana are emerging yeasts gaining clinical and epidemiological relevance that share morphological and physiological characteristics, forming the Candida albicans complex [1, 2].Due to the phenotypic similarities, these isolates can be identified as C. albicans, causing an overestimation in their epidemiology [3]
Isolates of C. albicans were obtained from the Culture Collection of the Microbiology Laboratory of Universidad Popular del Cesar (Valledupar, Colombia), whereas isolates of C. dubliniensis and C. africana were donated by the mycology laboratories of Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS, Colombia), the Laboratory of Proteomics and Human Mycoses of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ), and the Laboratory of Mycology and Molecular Diagnostics of Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL, Argentina)
Summary
Candida albicans is the main human fungal pathogen; Candida dubliniensis and Candida africana (a biovariety of C. albicans) are emerging yeasts gaining clinical and epidemiological relevance that share morphological and physiological characteristics, forming the Candida albicans complex [1, 2]. Due to the phenotypic similarities, these isolates can be identified as C. albicans, causing an overestimation in their epidemiology [3]. Several phenotypic identification systems are designed to differentiate C. dubliniensis from C. albicans, they do not allow identifying Candida africana [4]. E tobacco agar allows, in most cases, the differentiation between C. dubliniensis and C. albicans; but it is not used in Colombia as a routine medium. E aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of cigarettes available in Colombia for the preparation of tobacco agar on the differentiation of C. albicans, C. dubliniensis, and C. africana
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