Antifungal Properties of Berberine on Various Species of Candida in vitro

Objectives: Oral candidiasis is the most rampant fungal infection amongst humans and has begun to show more resistance to antifungal drugs which are being used to treat it. This is because there are only a handful of drugs that can be used to treat it. Oral candidiasis affects people with immunodeficiency as well as people on certain medications such as steroids or multiple antibiotics. Natural products such as alkaloids are being looked at for potential treatment options; Some previous studies have suggested Berberine as a viable option for oral candidiasis. It has been confirmed to have some antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Berberine should be an effective antifungal agent against Candida albicans.
Methods: An MIC/MFC test was performed for Candida albicans MYA 2876, Candida glabrata MYA 275, Candida dubliniensis MYA 577, and Candida tropicalis MYA 750. For the MIC, an inoculum was prepared for each with 1x10^{^6} CFU/ml. This was diluted 1:100 and then 1:20 with RPMI plus 10% FBS. Various Berberine concentrations ranging from 0.2 µM to 2000 µM were made added in a 1:10 ratio with the Candida into tubes. Each species was subjected to each treatment. After 48 hours of incubation at 37° C in 5% CO₂, 20 µL from the tubes with no growth were plated onto sabouraud dextrose agar plates to find the MFC. After 24 hours, this was checked to see whether or notwhether there was growth.
Results: The MIC was found to be 250 µM for Candida albicans, glabrata and tropicalis; the MFC was 300 µM. For Candida dubliniensis, the MIC was 300 µM and the MFC was 350 µM.
Conclusions: Berberine has shown antifungal activity against the Candida species. A time kill and a biofilms assay should be done to further confirm the antifungal properties of Berberine.