title: [Antifungal effect of high molecular weight chitosan on Candida spp isolated from clinical samples].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Microbiología y Micologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. cetapia@med.uchile.cl
authors.forename: Cecilia P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: Diego M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.forename: Leonardo G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Claudio O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Alburquerque
authors.forename: Andrea R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Ana M C
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Matamata
authors.forename: Germán D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Hermosilla
authors.forename: Sergio V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Bucarey
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D048271:Chitosan