title: Curcumin as a promising anticandidal of clinical interest.
abstract: Curcumin, an important Asian spice, is part of many Indian food preparations. This work evaluates the antifungal activity of curcumin against 14 strains of Candida (10 clinical and 4 standard). Curcumin displayed antifungal properties against all tested Candida strains, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varying from 250 to 2000 µg·mL⁻¹. The in vitro effect of curcumin on growth, sterol content, proteinase secretion, and H+ extrusion by plasma membrane ATPase was investigated for 2 standard strains Candida albicans ATCC 10261 and Candida glabrata ATCC 90030 and compared with the effect of fluconazole. At MIC, curcumin inhibited H+ extrusion in 2 species of Candida by 42% and 32% in the absence of glucose and by 28% and 18% in the presence of glucose. Respective inhibition of H+ extrusion caused by the MIC of fluconazole was 85% and 89% in the absence of glucose and 61% and 66% in its presence. Ergosterol content decreased by 70% and 53% for the 2 strains following exposure to curcumin at MIC; comparative values for fluconazole at MIC were 93% and 98%. Curcumin and fluconazole decreased proteinase secretion by 49% and 53%, respectively, in C. albicans and by 39% and 46%, respectively, in C. glabrata. In conclusion, curcumin is found to be active against all tested clinical and standard strains but is less effective than fluconazole. Antifungal activity of curcumin might be originating from alteration of membrane-associated properties of ATPase activity, ergosterol biosynthesis, and proteinase secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neelofar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shreaz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rimple
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muralidhar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikhat
authors.forename: Luqman A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D041221:Candida glabrata / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000032:analysis; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D006180:Proton-Translocating ATPases; D003474:Curcumin; D005947:Glucose; D004875:Ergosterol