General description

Candicidin is a polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotic which inhibits large number of fungi. 2 Polyene antifungal antibiotics, such as Candicidin, specifically target cell membranes containing sterols. Thus, selectively targets variety of prokaryotic organisms (such as Candida albicans) and not eukaryotic organisms. Candicidin generates cell membrane damage to Candida albicans (C.albicans) by triggering a rapid efflux of K+ ions. Interestingly, it was found that dosage needed for Candicidin to inhibit growth of stationary phase C. albicans cells is 25 µg/ml whereas log-phase C. albicans cells is only 5 µg/mL. In 1953 Kigman and Lewis performed the first in vivo study with mice to reveal the effects of Candicidin. Their study showed that Candicidin exhibits protective effect against C. albicans, Blastomyces dermatitidis and Sporotrichum schenkii but only a partial protective effect against torulosis and histoplasmosis. LD50 for Candicidin oral administration and intraperitoneal administration in mice were 90-400mg/kg and 2.1-7.0 mg/kg respectively. When comparing the activity of Candicidin to other antifungal compounds in vivo protects 100% of mice with C. albicans infection, whereas usage of twice the amount of Nystatin protects only 60% of the mice. Candicidin may undergo a photoisomerization process, yielding all-trans derivatives of Candicidin when exposed to direct UV light.