Clinical Isolates Of Candida Species Research Articles

Changing Epidemiology of Clinical Isolates of Candida Species during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Data Analysis from a Korean Tertiary Care Hospital for 6 Years (2017-2022).

This study assessed the changes in Candida species distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic compared with a pre-pandemic period in Korea. We retrospectively investigated the specimen, species type, and antifungal susceptibility of Candida isolates obtained between 2016 and 2022. Data between two periods were compared: 2016-2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020-2022 (pandemic). We included 11,396 clinical isolates of Candida species (5137 isolates in the pre-pandemic and 6259 isolates in the pandemic). The most prevalent species was Candida albicans (50.4%), followed by Candida glabrata (22.7%), Candida tropicalis (12.5%), and Candida parapsilosis complex (12.5%). Their ranks were unchanged; however, their relative isolation ratios varied during the pandemic, exhibiting differences ranging from 0.4 to 2.5 across species. The incidence of candidemia increased during the pandemic (average 1.79 episodes per 10,000 patient days) compared with pre-pandemic levels (average 1.45 episodes per 10,000 patient days) in both intensive-care-unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients. Additionally, C. parapsilosis complex candidemia increased by 1.6-fold during the pandemic. During the pandemic, C. albicans and C. tropicalis candidemia significantly increased by 1.5- and 1.4-fold in ICU patients. In contrast, C. parapsilosis complex candidemia surged 2.1-fold in non-ICU patients. These species exhibited reduced resistance to fluconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin, and micafungin in the pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic. This study underscores the heightened incidence of Candida-related infections during the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes the importance of ongoing surveillance of Candida species epidemiology beyond the pandemic's scope.

Synergistic antifungal activity and potential mechanism of action of a glycolipid like compound produced by Streptomyces blastmyceticus S108 against Candida clinical isolates.

The present study aimed to investigate a novel antifungal compound produced by Streptomyces blastmyceticus S108 strain. Its effectiveness against clinical isolates of Candida species and its synergistic effect with conventional antifungal drugs were assessed and its molecular mechanism of action was further studied against C. albicans. A newly isolated strain from Tunisian soil, Streptomyces blastmyceticus S108, showed significant antifungal activity against Candida species by well diffusion method. The butanolic extract of S108 strain supernatant exhibited the best anti-Candida activity with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 250 μg mL-1, determined by the microdilution method. The bio-guided purification steps of the butanolic extract were performed by chromatographic techniques. Among the fractions obtained, F13 demonstrated the highest level of activity, displaying a MIC of 31.25 μg mL-1. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Electrospray Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses of this fraction (F13) revealed the glycolipidic nature of the active molecule with a molecular weight of 685.6 m/z. This antifungal metabolite remained stable to physicochemical changes and did not show hemolytic activity even at 4 MIC corresponding to 125 µg mL-1 towards human erythrocytes. Besides, the glycolipid compound was combined with 5-flucytosine and showed a high synergistic effect with a FICI value 0.14 against C. albicans ATCC 10231. This combination resulted in a decrease of MIC values of 5-flucytosine and the glycolipid-like compound by 8 and 64-fold, respectively. The examination of gene expression in treated Candida albicans cells by qPCR revealed that the active compound tested alone or in combination with 5-flucytosine blocks the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway by down regulating the expression of ERG1, ERG3, ERG5, ERG11 and ERG25 genes. The new glycolipid like compound, produced by Streptomyces S108 isolate, could be a promising drug for medical use against pathogenic Candida isolates.

Cytotoxic effect of Gliotoxin from Candida spp. isolated from clinical sources against cancer and normal cell lines

Background: Invasive fungal infections have become more common during the past two decades. Candida species are the most common human fungal infections. Internal injuries characterize these infections because of virulence factors, such as gliotoxin, which is a fungal toxin that is thought to be antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. Objectives: To test the ability of Candida species obtained from clinical sources to produce gliotoxin as a virulence factor and investigate its cytotoxicity effects against some selected cell lines. Materials and Methods: One hundred and ten clinical isolates of Candida species were obtained from patients attending hospitals in Baghdad from September 2021 to March 2022. They were diagnosed and characterized by routine laboratory methods and cultures. The capability of Candida isolates to secrete the gliotoxin was tested and measured by analytical methods. The cytotoxicity of produced gliotoxin was applied against normal and cancer cell lines. Results: The 110 yeast isolates were diagnosed and identified as follows: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Candida Krusei, Candida kefyr, Candida lusitaniae, Candida rugosa. Twenty-eight Candida isolates showed gliotoxin production. The cytotoxicity effects of gliotoxin were reported against lymphocytes and AMGM and AMJ13 cell lines in different concentrations. The highest cytotoxic effect was noticed in the concentration of 400 µg/mL of gliotoxin. Conclusion: The results indicated that the pathogenicity of Candida was distributed among all ages, both sexes, and several types of sources of clinical isolates. Gliotoxin had an effect on normal and cancer cells. Received: Feb., 2023 Accepted: Aug. 2023 Published: Oct. 2023

Antifungal activity of three different varieties of Capsicum annuum against clinical isolates of Candida species

ObjectiveAcquired resistance to antifungal agents is rising among Candida species. Herbal extracts including Capsicum annum extracts have biological profits, which can be employed to overcome drug resistance in fungal species. The present study investigated the efficacy of different varieties of C. annum extracts against Candida species.MethodsAqueous and alcoholic extracts of three different varieties of C. annum were prepared using the succulent method. Total values for compound extracts of C. annum var. cayenne, C. annum var. cayenne cultivar sabzevari, and C. annum var. cerasiforme were 43, 42, and 38 g, respectively. The clinical Candida isolates including C. albicans (n = 13), C. dubliniensis (n = 2), C. parapsilosis (n = 2), and C. tropicalis (n = 1); and reference strains of C. albicans (TIMML 1292 and TIMML 183), C. krusei (TIMML 1321), C. parapsilosis (TIMML 2201), and C. tropicalis (TIMML 731) were examined based on the M27-A3 guideline.ResultsAqueous and alcoholic extracts of Capsicum annum showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of more than 512 µg/ml against clinical and reference strains of Candida. There was no justifiable difference between the effects of these extracts on Candida species.ConclusionBoth aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Capsicum annum could not exert a significant effective impact on clinical and reference strains of Candida. The difference in pepper spiciness did not show a significant role against Candida isolates. However, their possible effects might be different among other yeasts or filamentous fungi.

Broad-spectrum antifungal activity of Phyllanthus niruri leaves tested against Candida species

Introduction: The emergence of resistant pathogenic microorganisms against conventional antimicrobials has become a global concern. To combat new and re-emerging infectious illnesses, new antimicrobial agents with different chemical structures and novel modes of action are required. Therefore, this study evaluated ethanolic extracts of Phyllanthus niruri for their antimicrobial activities against Candida species isolated from different clinical samples. Materials and Methods: This involved the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method for the identification of Candida species. The ethanolic extraction of P. niruri leaves was examined. The agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antifungal activity of the leaf extracts against standard American Type Culture Collection strains as well as clinical isolates of Candida species. Results: Using PCR-RFLP, Candida tropicalis was found to be the most prevalent species of Candida, followed by Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei and Candida parapsilosis. The ethanol extract of P. nirui leaves showed good activity against all the clinical and standard strains of Candida which were comparable to the standard drug fluconazole. The activity of P. niruri against C. albicans was highest followed by C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata and C. krusei at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the use of P. niruri plant to treat Candida infections, particularly fluconazole-resistant Candida species.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Candida Species to Ethanolic Extracts of Ziziphus Abyssinica Leaves

Pectinases are the group of enzymes that catalyzes the degradation of pectic substances. Pectinase are enzymes that are remarkably employed in most industries because they have a large variety of applications, such as increasing juice extraction by decreasing the viscosity of concentrates in cellulose fibre preparation, coffee/tea fermentation and also for the clarification of juices and wines. This research was carried out for pectinase production by Aspergillus niger AR2 using local orange peel as substrate. Aspergillus niger was isolated from spoiled orange fruit and identified using phenotypic and molecular techniques. The isolate was screened for pectinase production on pectin agar. Fermentation was carried out by Aspergillus niger AR2 at fermentation days 3, 4 and 5; the amount of substrate (15g), pH (5), temperature (300C) and inoculum density of 106 (spore/mL). After fermentation, crude pectinase was extracted for enzyme assay. Enzyme activity was measured based on the amount of D-galacturonic acid released by the crude enzyme. Pectinase produced was used for orange juice extraction from mashed oranges and compared with juice with no enzymes. The results have shown that maximum pectinase production by A. nigerAR2 was found to be at a temperature of 300C, inoculum density of 106 (spore/mL), pH 5 at day 5 using orange peels as substrate with an activity of 3.04±0.024 (U/ml). The result shows that the pectinase produced was effective in orange juice extraction from mashed oranges due to the increase in the volume of orange juice.

P048 Antifungal susceptibility and mechanism of azole resistance in Candida albicans clinical isolates from oropharyngeal candidiasis patients in Iran

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM ObjectivesOropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the most frequent opportunistic fungal infection in head and neck cancer patients. This study was done to investigate the azole susceptibility of Candida albicans (C. albicans) from oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) patients and to determine the relationship between ERG11 gene mutations in these isolates and azole resistance.MethodsA total of 324 clinical isolates of Candida species were collected. Identification of the oral clinical samples was determined by culturing on CHROMagar, carbohydrate assimilation and ITS sequencing methods. Azole susceptibility was tested in vitro in microdilution studies. The ERG11 genes of 42 isolates of C. albicans were amplified and sequenced.ResultsOf the 324 isolates collected, 44.75% (145 isolates) were C. albicans. ERG11 gene was sequenced in 42 isolates. In total, 14 missense mutations were detected in ERG11 genes from 42 isolates. Among them, A945C and T495A substitutions were most prevalent and were known to cause fluconazole resistance.ConclusionsA total of 14 mutations in the ERG11 gene were identified in azole-resistant C. albicans isolates, which indicated a possible relation with the increase in resistance to azole drugs and the recurrence of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Finding more mutations and relevance requires studies with a higher number of samples.

Antifungal Activity of Mexican Propolis on Clinical Isolates of Candida Species.

Infections caused by micro-organisms of the genus Candida are becoming a growing health problem worldwide. These fungi are opportunistic commensals that can produce infections—clinically known as candidiasis—in immunocompromised individuals. The indiscriminate use of different anti-fungal treatments has triggered the resistance of Candida species to currently used therapies. In this sense, propolis has been shown to have potent antimicrobial properties and thus can be used as an approach for the inhibition of Candida species. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the anti-Candida effects of a propolis extract obtained from the north of Mexico on clinical isolates of Candida species. Candida species were specifically identified from oral lesions, and both the qualitative and quantitative anti-Candida effects of the Mexican propolis were evaluated, as well as its inhibitory effect on C. albicans isolate’s germ tube growth and chemical composition. Three Candida species were identified, and our results indicated that the inhibition halos of the propolis ranged from 7.6 to 21.43 mm, while that of the MFC and FC50 ranged from 0.312 to 1.25 and 0.014 to 0.244 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the propolis was found to inhibit germ tube formation (IC50 ranging from 0.030 to 1.291 mg/mL). Chemical composition analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, including pinocembrin, baicalein, pinobanksin chalcone, rhamnetin, and biochanin A, in the Mexican propolis extract. In summary, our work shows that Mexican propolis presents significant anti-Candida effects related to its chemical composition, and also inhibits germ tube growth. Other Candida species virulence factors should be investigated in future research in order to determine the mechanisms associated with antifungal effects against them.

Antifungal activity of eugenol and clove leaf essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum L.) against clinical isolates of candida species

Candida species are causative microorganisms of oropharyngeal, vulvovaginal, and skin infections. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) and eugenol oil have considerable antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi, including Candida species. The anticandidal action of the studied oils is significantly dependent on the concentration of eugenol and further main and minor constituents of the oils with well-known antifungal effects must have additional and synergistic activities. This study was conducted to compare the antifungal activity of clove leaf essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum L.) and eugenol to determine the role of the content other than eugenol in clove leaf essential oil as an antifungal against Candida species isolates from HIV-AIDS patients. Methods: This study is an in vitro test using the disk diffusion method to determine the zone of inhibition of clove leaf essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum L.) concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% as well as eugenol which was equivalent to the concentration of eugenol in clove leaf essential oil at concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15% in 40 isolates of Candida species.

Detection of antifungal drug-resistant and ERG11 gene mutations among clinical isolates of Candida species isolated from Khartoum, Sudan.

Background: Candida species are one of the most important opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause both superficial and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Considering the sharp increase in the rate of Candida infections, and resistance to commonly used antifungal agents in the last decades; this study was conducted to determine the rate of resistance among clinical isolates of Candida species, and to characterize some of the resistant genes among resistant isolates collected in Khartoum. Methods: This is a cross-sectional laboratory-based study included 100 pre-screened Candida species isolates from Khartoum state hospitals. Chromogenic media was used for Candida isolation and/or identification. The standard disc diffusion method was performed to investigate the susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin. Following genomic DNA extraction, the entire ERG11 gene was amplified from someC. albicansresistant isolates, sequenced, and further analyzed.Results: Out of 100 clinical isolates collected, 51% were C. albicans, followed by C. glabrata (31%), C. krusie (8%), C. tropicals (5%), andC. dupliniens (5%). Resistance rate was 23% for fluconazole, 4% for itraconazole, while there were no amphotericin resistant isolates detected.C. albicans ERG11 gene sequence reveals 15 different mutations. Among these, three (D116E, E266D, and V488I) were missense mutations; however, these substitutions do not contribute to fluconazole resistance.Conclusion: C. albicanswas found to be the most common species. Resistance against fluconazole was observed most frequently; however, mutations inERG11are unlikely to be the reason behind fluconazole resistance among these isolates.

Detection of antifungal drug-resistant and ERG11 gene mutations among clinical isolates of Candida species isolated from Khartoum, Sudan.

Background: Candida species are one of the most important opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause both superficial and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Considering the sharp increase in the rate of Candida infections, and resistance to commonly used antifungal agents in the last decades; this study was conducted to determine the rate of resistance among clinical isolates of Candida species, and to characterize some of the resistant genes among resistant isolates collected in Khartoum. Methods: This is a cross-sectional laboratory-based study included 100 pre-screened Candida species isolates from Khartoum state hospitals. Chromogenic media was used for Candida isolation and/or identification. The standard disc diffusion method was performed to investigate the susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin. Following genomic DNA extraction, the entire ERG11 gene was amplified from some C. albicans resistant isolates, sequenced, and further analyzed. Results: Out of 100 clinical isolates collected, 51% were C. albicans, followed by C. glabrata (31%), C. krusie (8%), C. tropicals (5%), and C. dupliniens (5%). Resistance rate was 23% for fluconazole, 4% for itraconazole, while there were no amphotericin resistant isolates detected. C. albicans ERG11 gene sequence reveals 15 different mutations. Among these, three (D116E, E266D, and V488I) were missense mutations; however, these substitutions do not contribute to fluconazole resistance. Conclusion: C . albicans was found to be the most common species. Resistance against fluconazole was observed most frequently; however, mutations in ERG11 are unlikely to be the reason behind fluconazole resistance among these isolates.

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil against Clinical Isolates of Candida Species from the Oral Mucosa: Current Status and Challenges

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil against Clinical Isolates of Candida Species from the Oral Mucosa: Current Status and Challenges

Antifungal Activity of Curcuminoids and Difluorinated Curcumin Against Clinical Isolates of Candida Species.

Acquired resistance to antifungals is rising particularly among Candida species. Herbal ingredients have biological and pharmacological activities, which make them potential fungicidal agents. The present study investigated the effects of curcumin (CUR) and difluorinated curcumin (CDF) on Candida species. CUR and CDF were examined against Candida isolates obtained from patients candidemia due to C. albicans (n=13), C. dubliniensis (n=2), C. parapsilosis (n=2), and C. tropicalis (n=1); and laboratory strains of C. albicans (TIMML 1292 and TIMML 183), C. krusei (TIMML 1321), C. parapsilosis (TIMML 2201), and C. tropicalis (TIMML 731) based on the M27-A3 guideline. At the concentrations of 1-512μg/mL, none of the CDF and CUR showed a significant minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range against Candida isolates. There was no significant difference between the effects of CUR and CDF against Candida species. The CUR and CDF did not exert any inhibitory effect on the growth of Candida strains. Any possible effect on other yeast and filamentous fungi needs to be further investigated.

Antifungal Resistance Pattern of Candida Species Isolated from High Vaginal Swabs of Women Attending a Hospital in Enugu State, Nigeria

There is an increase in non-albicans Candida (NAC) vulvovaginal candidiasis which is attributed to overuse of antifungal therapy and this has led to antifungal resistance. This study was aimed at determining the antifungal resistance pattern of some clinical isolates of Candida species. Eighty-eight (88) isolates were used which included Candida tropicalis (34), Candida Parapsilosis (21), Candida albicans (20), Candida krusei (7) and Candida glabrata (6). The drugs used were Fluconazole (25µg), Ketoconazole (10µg), Voriconazole (1µg), Nystatin (100Units), Amphotericin B (20µg), Flucytosine (1µg), Clotrimazole (10µg) and Itraconazole (50µg). The susceptibility testing was carried out using the M44-A standard method for yeast disk diffusion testing. Results showed that the percentages of Candida species resistant to Fluconazole, Ketoconazole, Voriconazole, Amphotericin B, Flucytosine, Clotrimazole and Itraconazole and Nystatin were 52.3%, 61.9%, 35.2%, 19.3%, 86.4%, 34.1%, 45.5% and 44.3%, with inhibition zone diameters ≤14mm, ≤20mm, ≤13mm, <10mm, ≤11mm, ≤11mm, ≤13mm and no inhibition zone diameter respectively. Candida krusei was the most resistant species with 100% resistance to each of Fluconazole, Ketoconazole and Flucytosine. Candida tropicalis was the species with the highest susceptibility (79.4%) to Amphotericin B followed by Candida parapsilosis with inhibition zone diameters ≥15mm. While Candida glabrata showed 100% resistance to each of Flucytosine and Itraconazole, Candida albicans showed 100% resistance to Flucytosine only. Candida glabrata was the only Candida species with 0% resistance to Amphotericin B. The drug to which most of the Candida species were susceptible was Amphotericin B followed by Voriconazole while Flucytosine was the drug with the highest resistance followed by Ketoconazole and Fluconazole. The highest number of susceptible-dose dependent Candida isolates was observed with Ketoconazole (25%), followed by Clotrimazole and Itraconazole, each recording 23.9%. Based on the findings of the present study, Voriconazole is recommended for vaginal candidiasis especially in the study area and also especially for infections caused by Fluconazole-resistant Candida species. This suggests that routine sensitivity testing is pertinent to guiding the choice of antifungal therapy. Thus, indiscriminate use of antifungal drugs should be avoided to reduce the development and spread of resistance.

Detection of antifungal drug-resistant and ERG11 gene mutations among clinical isolates of Candida species isolated from Khartoum, Sudan.

Background: Candidaspecies are one of the most important opportunistic fungal pathogens that cause both superficial and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Considering the sharp increase in the rate of Candidainfections, and resistance to commonly used antifungal agents in the last decades; this study was conducted to determine the rate of resistance among clinical isolates of Candidaspecies, and to characterize some of the resistant genes among resistant isolates collected in Khartoum. Methods:This is a cross-sectional laboratory-based study included 100 pre-screened Candidaspecies isolates from Khartoum state hospitals. Chromogenic media was used for Candidaisolation and/or identification. The standard disc diffusion method was performed to investigate the susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin. Following genomic DNA extraction, the entire ERG11gene was amplified from some C. albicans resistant isolates, sequenced, and further analyzed. Results:Out of 100 clinical isolates collected, 51% were C. albicans, followed by C. glabrata(31%), C. krusie(8%), C. tropicals(5%),and C. dupliniens(5%). Resistance rate was 23% for fluconazole, 4% for itraconazole, while there were no amphotericin resistant isolates detected. C. albicans ERG11gene sequence reveals 15 different mutations. Among these, three (D116E, E266D, and V488I) were missense mutations; however, these substitutions do not contribute to fluconazole resistance. Conclusion: C. albicans was found to be the most common species. Resistance against fluconazole was observed most frequently; however, mutations in ERG11 are unlikely to be the reason behind fluconazole resistance among these isolates.

The interaction Between Carbohydrates and the Antimicrobial Peptide P-113Tri is Involved in the Killing of Candida albicans.

The emergence of drug resistance to Candida albicans is problematic in the clinical setting. Therefore, developing new antifungal drugs is in high demand. Our previous work indicated that the antimicrobial peptide P-113Tri exhibited higher antifungal activity against planktonic cells, biofilm cells, and clinical isolates of Candida species compared to its parental peptide P-113. In this study, we further investigated the difference between these two peptides in their mechanisms against C. albicans. Microscopic examination showed that P-113 rapidly gained access to C. albicans cells. However, most of the P-113Tri remained on the cell surface. Moreover, using a range of cell wall-defective mutants and competition assays, the results indicated that phosphomannan and N-linked mannan in the cell wall are important for peptide binding to C. albicans cells. Furthermore, the addition of exogenous phosphosugars reduced the efficacy of the peptide, suggesting that negatively charged phosphosugars also contributed to the peptide binding to the cell wall polysaccharides. Finally, using a glycan array, P-113Tri, but not P-113, can bind to other glycans commonly present on other microbial and mammalian cells. Together, these results suggest that P-113 and P-113Tri have fundamental differences in their interaction with C. albicans and candidacidal activities.

Antifungal Activity of an Original Amino-Isocyanonaphthalene (ICAN) Compound Family: Promising Broad Spectrum Antifungals.

Multiple drug resistant fungi pose a serious threat to human health, therefore the development of completely new antimycotics is of paramount importance. The in vitro antifungal activity of the original, 1-amino-5-isocyanonaphthalenes (ICANs) was evaluated against reference strains of clinically important Candida species. Structure-activity studies revealed that the naphthalene core and the isocyano- together with the amino moieties are all necessary to exert antifungal activity. 1,1-N-dimethylamino-5-isocyanonaphthalene (DIMICAN), the most promising candidate, was tested further in vitro against clinical isolates of Candida species, yielding a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.04–1.25 µg/mL. DIMICAN was found to be effective against intrinsically fluconazole resistant Candida krusei isolates, too. In vivo experiments were performed in a severly neutropenic murine model inoculated with a clinical strain of Candida albicans. Daily administration of 5 mg/kg DIMICAN intraperitoneally resulted in 80% survival even at day 13, whereas 100% of the control group died within six days. Based on these results, ICANs may become an effective clinical lead compound family against fungal pathogens.

Antifungal Susceptibility Pattern of Clinical Isolates of Candida Species at Khartoum State Hospitals, Sudan

Antifungal Susceptibility Pattern of Clinical Isolates of Candida Species at Khartoum State Hospitals, Sudan

The antifungal activities and biological consequences of BMVC-12C-P, a carbazole derivative against Candida species.

Fungal infections, particularly Candida species, have increased worldwide and caused high morbidity and mortality rates. The toxicity and development of resistance in present antifungal drugs justify the need of new drugs with different mechanism of action. BMVC-12C-P, a carbazole-type compound, has been found to dysfunction mitochondria. BMVC-12C-P displayed the strongest antifungal activities among all of the BMVC derivatives. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BMVC-12C-P against Candida species ranged from 1 to 2 μg/ml. Fluconazole-resistant clinical isolates of Candida species were highly susceptible to BMVC-12C-P. The potent fungicidal activity of BMVC-12C-P relates to its impairing mitochondrial function. Furthermore, we found that the hyphae growth and biofilm formation were suppressed in C. albicans survived from BMVC-12C-P treatment. This study demonstrates the potential of BMVC-12C-P as an antifungal agent for treating Candida infections.

Distribution of <i>Candida</i> Species and Their Susceptibility to Antifungal Drugs in Dakar, Senegal

The large spectrum of Candida species and their susceptibility to antifungal drugs has made the identification of Candida species and the detection of drug resistance necessary for the management of Candida infection. This study was carried out to determine the distribution of Candida species and to evaluate their susceptibility to antifungal drugs. A prospective observational and descriptive study was conducted from March to June 2016 in the laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology at Fann University Hospital in Dakar. Samples were analyzed by direct microscopy and culture. Identification of Candida species was based on filamentation test, chlamydosporulation formation, auxanogramme (AUXACOLORTM Bio-Rad) and Candi-Select® 4 (Bio-Rad,). The susceptibility of Candida species to antifungal drugs was tested using Fungitest® (Bio-Rad) against 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B, miconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole. A descriptive analysis was performed using Stata MP 14. Among 336 specimens received for mycological examination, 68 (20.2%) were positive for Candida. The most identified Candida species were C. albicans (58.8%), C. glabrata (16.2%), C tropicalis (7.4%), C krusei (7.4%), C. parapsilosis (4.4%), C. dubliniensis (4.4%) and C. kefyr (1.5%). The majority of isolates were susceptible to ketoconazole (94.3%), fluconazole (85.7%), amphotericin B and 5 fluoro-cytosine (88.6%). The susceptibility rates were lower for itraconazole (51.4%) and miconazole (68.6%). One strain of C. albicans was resistant to 5 fluoro-cytosine, one strain of C. glabrata and C. tropicalis were resistant to itraconazole. The results of this study provide useful information regarding the distribution of Candida species and the susceptibility to antifungal drug. Routine identification of Candida species and monitoring of resistance patterns are necessary to manage Candida infection and to control the spread of resistance in clinical isolates of Candida species.