Effect of Jujube Honey on Candida albicans Growth and Biofilm Formation

Journal Article

Al-Attal, Mohammad Javed Ansari,Ahmad Al-Ghamdi,Salma Usmani,Noori S. Al-Waili,Deepak Sharma,Adgaba Nuru,and Yehya . 2013

• المجلة \ الصحيفة: Archives of Medical Research
• رقم العدد: 5
• رقم الإصدار السنوي: 44
• الصفحات: 352-360

مستخلص المنشور

Some Candida species are found as endosymbionts in most healthy individuals. C. albicans is the most common yeast found on the mucosal membranes of humans including in the oral cavity, esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, urinary bladder and genitalia (1). In immunocompromised individuals, C. albicans has emerged as a true opportunistic pathogen. This yeast adheres to and colonizes epithelial tissues and causes superficial and life-threatening infections. C. albicans has become one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide among immunocompromised individuals (2). Importantly, Candida has been shown to be the third most commonly isolated blood pathogen from patients in U.S. hospitals (3).

According to the National Institutes of Health (USA), more than 60% of all microbial infections are associated with biofilms (4). Biofilms are particularly problematic in the clinical environment and, like bacteria, various fungal species can form biofilms in vivo and in vitro (5). Among fungi, C. albicans is the most common pathogen associated with fungal biofilm infections, especially infections related to implanted medical devices (6). A common issue associated with C. albicans biofilms is the increased resistance of these biofilms to antifungal agents such as azole drugs and their derivatives and to host immune defenses. The increased resistance is due to the extracellular matrix secreted by the Candida cells, which shields the Candida cells from antibodies and prevents drugs from penetrating the biofilm 7 and 8. The emergence of resistant C. albicans has a major impact on public health and the economy. Because of the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant C. albicans, there is an urgent need to develop alternative treatments for Candida infections that are safe, effective and inexpensive.