title: Antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin tetrasulphonic acid and fagopyrin on pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of hypericin-mediated photodynamic antimicrobial properties on pathogenic fungi and photodynamic therapy for human cancer cells is known. Antifungal properties of Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. (Polygonaceae) extracts were also studied. The different polarities of solvents can cause complication in the identification of antifungal effects of separate biologically active compounds. In recent experimental work, we compared antifungal properties of purified hypericin, hypericin tetrasulphonic acid (hypericin + S) and fagopyrin, which is analogue of hypericin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The antifungal properties of aromatic polyketide derivatives such as hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin on the selected pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts have been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin were determined using the broth microdilution method against a set of pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts including: Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, Fusarium oxysporum, Exophiala dermatitidis, Candida albicans, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia fermentans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The tested concentrations of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin ranged from 750 to 0.011 μg/mL and MIC values were evaluated after 48 h incubation at 30 °C.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results confirm different antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin on the selected pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts. For pathogenic fungi, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of hypericin ranged 0.18-46.9 μg/mL, hypericin + S 0.18-750 μg/mL and fagopyrin 11.7-46.9 μg/mL. For spoilage yeasts, the MICs of hypericin and hypericin + S ranged 0.18-46.9 and 0.011-0.73 μg/mL, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained herein indicate that various chemical structures of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin can develop different antifungal properties.
authors: a Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Kiev National University of Taras Shevchenko , Kiev , Ukraine.
authors: Oksana
authors: O
authors: Sytar
authors: b Nature Research Centre, Institute of Botany , Vilnius , Lithuania.
authors: Jurgita
authors: J
authors: Švedienė
authors: b Nature Research Centre, Institute of Botany , Vilnius , Lithuania.
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Ložienė
authors: b Nature Research Centre, Institute of Botany , Vilnius , Lithuania.|c Laboratory of Microbiology, Centre of Laboratory Medicine , Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių klinikos , Vilnius , Lithuania.
authors: Algimantas
authors: A
authors: Paškevičius
authors: a Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Kiev National University of Taras Shevchenko , Kiev , Ukraine.
authors: Anatolij
authors: A
authors: Kosyan
authors: a Department of Plant Physiology , Institute of Biology, Kiev National University of Taras Shevchenko , Kiev , Ukraine.
authors: Natalija
authors: N
authors: Taran
mesh_terms: D000873:Anthracenes; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010569:Perylene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011809:Quinones; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011809:Quinones; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C496890:fagopyrin; D010569:Perylene; C004965:hypericin
keywords: Naphthodianthrone derivatives; hypericin tetrasulphonic acid; pathogenic microorganisms