Whey-derived free fatty acids suppress the germination of Candida albicans in vitro.
Bovine whey from the cheese-making industry contains several bioactive factors that promote health and prevent disease. Although many efforts have been made over the years to show that immunoglobulins, lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, lysosyme and small peptides present in whey have antimicrobial activities against several pathogenic microorganisms, such activities have not been investigated so far for the lipid fraction of whey. Here, we have used an in vitro assay-based fractionation procedure to show that free fatty acids derived from whey cream specifically inhibit the germination of Candida albicans, a morphologic change associated with pathogenicity. Further fractionation by HPLC demonstrated that this activity can be mainly attributed to lauric acid, myristoleic acid, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid.
Clément
Martin
M
Départment de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Tremblay
Jessy
J
Lange
Michel
M
Thibodeau
Jacques
J
Belhumeur
Pierre
P
D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002417:Cattle; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003470:Culture Media; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007850:Lauric Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D005419:Flavonoids; D007850:Lauric Acids; C506383:myristinin D; C030358:lauric acid; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid