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[Adherence of Candida albicans is inhibited by yeast mannan]

Luna Iwamoto1, Toshihiko Watanabe, Ayako Ogasawara

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Sendai City, Japan.

Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
|March 2, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mannan prevents Candida albicans from adhering to surfaces. Coating medical equipment with mannan may be a strategy to inhibit fungal adherence and prevent infections.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Biomaterials Science
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that frequently causes infections.
  • Adherence to medical devices is a critical step in Candida albicans pathogenesis.
  • Developing strategies to prevent fungal adherence is crucial for combating device-associated infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of mannan on Candida albicans adherence to plastic surfaces.
  • To determine if mannan-coated surfaces can inhibit fungal attachment.
  • To assess the influence of pH on mannan's ability to coat surfaces.

Main Methods:

  • Testing the adherence of Candida albicans strains to plastic plates with and without mannan.
  • Coating plastic plates with mannan under varying pH conditions (neutral, acidic, alkaline).
  • Evaluating the inhibitory effect of mannan-coated plates on fungal adherence.

Main Results:

  • Addition of mannan significantly inhibited the adherence of Candida albicans strain NIH A207.
  • Plates coated with mannan demonstrated reduced adherence for multiple Candida albicans strains.
  • Mannan effectively coated plastic plates under neutral and acidic conditions, but not alkaline conditions.
  • Candida albicans demonstrated an inability to attach to mannan.

Conclusions:

  • Mannan acts as an effective inhibitor of Candida albicans adherence to plastic surfaces.
  • The pH-dependent coating of surfaces by mannan influences its anti-adherence properties.
  • Mannan-coated medical equipment presents a potential strategy for preventing Candida albicans colonization and subsequent infections.

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