title: In vitrodamage ofCandida albicansbiofilms by chitosan.
abstract: With the increasing usage of indwelling medical devices in clinical practice, the frequency of fungal infections has increased, such as that ofCandida albicans(C. albicans). Biofilms, a protected niche for microorganisms, are resistant to a range of current antifungal agents. Chitosan is a polyatomic biopolymer with advantageous biocompatibility, biodegradation, nontoxicity and antibacterial properties. To investigate the inhibitory effect of chitosan on biofilms formed byC. albicans, cell viability, 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-caboxanilide reduction, and morphological assays, including fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were employed. As assessed by cell viability assay, chitosan showed significant inhibitory effects on the planktonic cells and the biofilm ofC. albicansin a dose-dependent manner. Fluorescence microscopy and SEM assays confirmed that the chitosan-treated group showed delayedC. albicansbiofilm formation with defect morphological features, due to the inhibitory effects of the vast majority of fungal cell growth. In conclusion,C. albicansbiofilms were compromised by the treatment with chitosan, providing an alternative therapeutic strategy against the fungal biofilms in the medical devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Aibo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Biology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China ; Research Center for Molecule Medicine and Tumor, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ye
keywords: Candida albicans; biofilms; chitosan