title: In vitro antifungal activity of CAN-296: a naturally occurring complex carbohydrate.
abstract: The in vitro activity of a naturally occurring complex carbohydrate, CAN-296, was evaluated by testing 132 clinical and ATCC isolates of yeast and Aspergillus fumigatus, many of which were azole-resistant. The in vitro susceptibility tests were performed by standardized broth micro- and macrodilution methods and results were compared with those obtained for amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, flucytosine and the pneumocandin L-733,560. All tested Candida species showed highly uniform susceptibility to CAN-296 at concentrations of 0.078 to 0.312 microgram/ml; non-albicans Candida were as susceptible to CAN-296 as the Candida albicans strains. Multi-azole-resistant Candida species were highly sensitive to CAN-296. Minimum inhibitory concentration measurements did not differ from minimum lethal concentrations by more than two-fold for all tested Candida species. Aspergillus fumigatus, on the other hand, showed only moderate susceptibility to CAN-296. The kinetics of the anti-Candida activity of CAN-296 was investigated by kill-curve experiments using C. albicans and C. glabrata and the results were compared with those obtain for amphotericin B. CAN-296 was found to be rapidly fungicidal in concentrations ranging from 4-16 fold the mean MIC value. The broad spectrum of anti-Candida activity together with the rapid fungicidal effect make this complex carbohydrate a promising agent for clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ben-Josef
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Manavathu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sobel
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000187:drug effects; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009089:Mucor / Q000737:chemistry*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; C111294:CAN 296; D005944:Glucosamine