The number of superficial candidal infections has grown due to an increase in the elderly cohort and ever-increasing immunocompromised population, and the increased prevalence of antifungal drug resistance. The aim of this research was to investigate the antifungal efficacy of a citrus fruit extract, Biosecur c320c (B320), against two strains of Candida albicans (nystatin sensitive and resistant). The viability of C. albicans strain treated with 10% B320 was reduced by 90-99% depending on biofilm age. A B320/nystatin combination demonstrated even greater efficacy at killing biofilm cells in either strain. The nystatin sensitive strain did not develop resistance to B320 while resistance was developed following long-term exposure to nystatin. Scanning electron micrographs of C. albicans biofilms revealed cellular debris after treatment with combined B320/nystatin. Citrus fruit extracts containing polyphenols might contribute to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of oral candidiasis, particularly in those refractory to nystatin therapy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/33274 |
| Date | 20 November 2012 |
| Creators | Kobric, Daniel Joel |
| Contributors | Lévesque, Céline, Tenenbaum, Howard |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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