[Antifungal effect of high molecular weight chitosan on Candida spp isolated from clinical samples].
Chitosan is a D-glucosamine polysaccharide derived from chitin that displays an antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi.


OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the antifungal effect of high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC) in clinical strains of Candida spp.


METHODS
the susceptibility of forty strains of Candida spp. to HMWC was studied (16 C albicans, 11 C glabrata, 5 C. tropicalis, 5 C krusei, 2 C parapsilosis and 2 C. famata) by broth microdilution at pH 7.0 and pH 4.0.


RESULTS
of 40 strains, only 2 were inhibited at pH 7.0 and corresponded to ATCC control strains (C. krusei 6258 and C parapsilosis 22019). On the other hand, 37/40 strains (92.5%) were inhibited by concentrations lower than 1.25 mg/mL of HMWC at pH 4.0.


CONCLUSIONS
these results show that HMWC, presents activity against clinical Candida spp. strains, including C glabrata, and that this activity is present at acid pH (4.0). This compound could potentially be used in vulvovaginal candidiasis since it occurs at pH 4.0-4.5.
Tapia
Cecilia P
CP
Programa de Microbiología y Micologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. cetapia@med.uchile.cl
Soto
Diego M
DM
Vergara
Leonardo G
LG
Alburquerque
Claudio O
CO
Maccioni
Andrea R
AR
Matamata
Ana M C
AM
Hermosilla
Germán D
GD
Bucarey
Sergio V
SV
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008970:Molecular Weight
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D048271:Chitosan