Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Dec 2008)

EFFECT OF HONEY FROM NORTH OF IRAN ON CANDIDA ALBICANS

  • S Mahdavi Omran,,
  • GH Maliji,
  • AA Sefidgar,,
  • MR Yosefi,
  • M Haji Ahmadi,
  • SJ Moosavi,,
  • M Shafii

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 5
pp. 15 – 22

Abstract

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: According to the increasing resistance of Candida species to anticandidal drugs in some patients, several researches were led to find out new antifungal agents from natural sources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticandidal activity of honey experimentally.METHODS: In the present study, physical, biochemical and microbial characterization of four types of honey from North of Iran were determined. Different dilution (15-75%) of honey, amphotericin B (0.008-16µg/ml) and fluconazole (0.06-128µg/ml) were used on two species of candida albicans and one species of candida dubliniensis. Micro plates were incubated at 25 °C and 37°C for 48 hours with shaking (150 rpm). 10µl of transparent wells were plated onto sabouraud dextrose agar plates and calculated minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). The anti-candida activity of honey and drugs were analyzed by using t-Student, Mann-Whitney and ANOVA tests.FINDINGS: It was not grown any organisms on honey cultures. Different dilution of honey in 20-25% and 15-30% can inhibit candidal growth at 25 °C and 37 °C (MIC50). MFC for honey at 25 °C and 37 °C were 40-70% and 45-70%, respectively. The differences between anticandidal effects of honey were not statistically significant. Candidal growth was inhibited (50%) by amphotericin B in 0.03-0.125µg/ml and 0.03-0.06µg/ml at 25 °C and 37 °C, respectively. MFC for this drug and temperature above mentioned were 0.5 and 0.125 µg/mg, respectively. MIC for fluconazole at 25 °C and 37 °C were 2-4 µg/ml and 0.25-0.5 µg/ml, respectively fluconazole inhibited candida growth, totally (MFC) at 25 °C and 37 °C in 32-64 µg/ml and 16-32µg/ml, respectively.CONCLUSION: With regard to the anticandidal effects on honey, specially unheated old honey on candida dubliniensis at 37 °C, so honey could be considered as antifungal component in the treatment of experimental infections.

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