Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

04:48
Rose Bengal-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy to Inhibit Candida albicans
Published on: March 24, 2022
Amphotericin B-metronidazole combination against Candida spp
Revista Iberoamericana De Micologia
|July 28, 2007
Summary
This study investigated the combined effects of amphotericin B and metronidazole against various Candida species. The antifungal drug combination demonstrated predominantly synergistic interactions, enhancing treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Candida species are common causes of opportunistic fungal infections.
- Antifungal drug resistance is a growing clinical concern.
- Combination antifungal therapy may offer improved efficacy and overcome resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro interaction between amphotericin B and metronidazole.
- To determine the combined activity against a panel of clinically relevant Candida species.
Main Methods:
- Checkerboard method used to determine Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs).
- Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations (MFCs) determined on appropriate agar media.
- Fractional inhibitory and lethal concentration indices calculated to assess drug interactions.
Main Results:
- The combination of amphotericin B and metronidazole exhibited additive and synergistic interactions.
- Synergistic effects were predominant across the tested Candida strains.
- Specific MIC and MFC values indicated enhanced antifungal activity when drugs were combined.
Conclusions:
- Amphotericin B and metronidazole combination shows promising synergistic activity against Candida species.
- This combination could be a viable therapeutic strategy for candidiasis.
- Further in vivo studies are warranted to confirm clinical efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
Antifungal Agents
Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Anthelminthic Agents
Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Synergism is a useful mechanism where combining two or more drugs is more effective than each constituent used alone. Such combinations are also called supra-additive interactions. The drugs collectively enhance the final therapeutic effect by acting on different targets. Another advantage is that the low dose of each constituent drug is sufficient to achieve the desired effect. This helps reduce the duration of therapy and lower the adverse effects of these drugs.
Such synergistic combinations...
Such synergistic combinations...
Antiprotozoal Agents
Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...

