title: Sensitization ofCandida albicansto terbinafine by berberine and berberrubine.
abstract: Candida albicans(C. albicans) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, particularly observed in immunocompromised patients.C. albicansaccounts for 50-70% of cases of invasive candidiasis in the majority of clinical settings. Terbinafine, an allylamine antifungal drug, has been used to treat fungal infections previously. It has fungistatic activity againstC. albicans. Traditional Chinese medicines can be used as complementary medicines to conventional drugs to treat a variety of ailments and diseases. Berberine is a quaternary alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese herb,Coptidis Rhizoma, while berberrubine is isolated from the medicinal plantBerberis vulgaris, but is also readily derived from berberine by pyrolysis. The present study demonstrates the possible complementary use of berberine and berberrubine with terbinafine againstC. albicans. The experimental findings assume that the potential application of these alkaloids together with reduced dosage of the standard drug would enhance the resulting antifungal potency.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chirosciences, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pikling
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Stanton Hon Lung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kenneth Ka Ho
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chirosciences, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kim Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Desmond Kwok Po
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hau
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wai Yeung
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhaoxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gambari
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chirosciences, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China; Clinical Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chung Hin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chui
keywords: C. albicans; antifungal; berberine; berberrubine; terbinafine