JAC Advance Access published online on December 19, 2003
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkh046
© 2003 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
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Original article
1 Department of Microbiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry
at Matsudo, 2-870-1 Sakaecho-nishi,
Matsudo City, Chiba 271-8587, Japan
* Corresponding author. E-mail: masahira{at}mascat.nihon-u.ac.jp.
Received 25 June 2003
; revised 26 October 2003
; accepted 31 October 2003
Objectives: The susceptibility of Candida albicans to catechin under varying pH conditions
and the synergism of the combination of catechin and antimycotics
were evaluated. Method: Antifungal activity was determined by
broth dilution and calculation of cfu. Results: The antifungal activity of catechin
was pH dependent. The concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg)
causing 90% growth inhibition of tested strains of C. albicans was 2000 mg/L at pH 6.0, 500-1000
mg/L at pH 6.5 and 15.6-250 mg/L at pH 7.0. Among catechins,
pyrogallol catechin showed stronger antifungal activity against C. albicans than catechol catechin.
The addition of 6.25-25 or 3.12-12.5 mg/L EGCg
to amphotericin B 0.125 or 0.25 mg/L (below MIC) at pH 7.0 resulted
in enhancement, respectively, of the antifungal effect of amphotericin
B against amphotericin B-susceptible or -resistant C. albicans. Combined treatment with 3.12-12.5
mg/L EGCg plus amphotericin B 0.5 mg/L (below MIC) markedly decreased
the growth of amphotericin B-resistant C. albicans.
When fluconazole-susceptible C. albicans was
treated with 25-50 mg/L EGCg and fluconazole 0.125-0.25
mg/L (below MIC), its growth was inhibited by 93.0%-99.4% compared
with its growth in the presence of fluconazole alone. The combined
use of 12.5 mg/L EGCg and fluconazole 10-50 mg/L (below
MIC) inhibited the growth of fluconazole-resistant C.
albicans by 98.5%-99.7%. Conclusions: These results indicate that EGCg
enhances the antifungal effect of amphotericin B or fluconazole
against antimycotic-susceptible and -resistant C. albicans. Combined treatment with catechin allows
the use of lower doses of antimycotics and induces multiple antifungal
effects. It is hoped that this may help to avoid the side effects
of antimycotics.
Keywords: Japanese green tea, polyphenols, antifungal
effects, yeast
Multiple effects of green tea catechin on the antifungal
activity of antimycotics against Candida albicans
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