Inhibition of hyphae formation and SIR2 expression in Candida albicans treated with fresh Allium sativum (garlic) extract.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study were to determine whether Allium sativum (garlic) extract has any effect on the morphology transformation of Candida albicans, and to investigate whether it could alter the gene expression level of SIR2, a morphogenetic control gene and SAP4, a gene encoding secreted aspartyl proteinase.


RESULTS
Candida albicans cells were incubated with a range of concentrations of fresh garlic extract, and the morphology was monitored via light microscopy. Garlic extract treatment caused the transition of yeast form to hyphal form to be obviated. The expression of SIR2 was down-regulated from 1.2- to 2.5-fold with increasing concentration of the garlic extract, as determined from relative quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. There was no difference in the SAP4 expression in control vs treated cultures.


CONCLUSIONS
Garlic and its bioactive components have the ability to suppress hyphae production and to affect the expression level of SIR2 gene.


CONCLUSIONS
Hyphal production is an essential virulence determinant of C. albicans for invasive infections, therefore garlic and its constituents can be effective not only against colonizing C. albicans strains present in mucosal infections, but also virulent strains causing systemic or invasive candidiasis.
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C F
CF
Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Chong
P P
PP
Yong
P V C
PV
Lim
C S Y
CS
Ahmad
Z
Z
Othman
F
F
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005737:Garlic; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D025301:Hyphae / Q000502:physiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C086392:SAP4 protein, Candida albicans