*Dr. Harsh Shah¹, Ankit singh², Jacky Pariyani³, Gaurav Patil⁴, Pooja Belapurkar⁶, Jugal Mandan⁶, Paarth Kumar⁵

^1,2,3,5La Renon Healthcare Pvt Ltd. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India-380015

⁴Mahatma Gandhi Vidyamandir Pharmacy College, Panchvati, Nashik 422003 Maharashtra, India

⁵Amrutvahini College Of Pharmacy, Sangamner, Dist. Ahmednagar,

Maharashtra, India, 422608

⁶Svkm Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal (Svkm), Dhule, Maharashtra, 424001

Corresponding Author: Dr. Harsh Jayendra Shah, La Renon Healthcare Pvt Ltd. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India-380015.

Citation: Dr. Harsh Shah, Ankit Singh, Jacky Pariyani, Gaurav Patil, Pooja Belapurkar, Jugal Mandan, Paarth Kumar, (2023). In Vitro Study to Assess the Antifungal Effect of Lactoferrin + Econazole/Econazole in Reduction of Biofilm formed by Fungal Culture of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei. Int J Med Healthcare Rep, 3(1);1-5.

Copyright: © 2023, Dr. Harsh Jayendra Shah, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

ABSTRACT:

Fungal infections caused by Candida species, such as Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei, are a major concern in healthcare settings worldwide due to their ability to form biofilms. Biofilms provide protection and resistance to antifungal treatments, leading to persistent infections. In this study, we aimed to assess the antifungal effect of Lactoferrin in combination with Econazole or Econazole alone in reducing biofilms formed by these Candida species. Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein with broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, while Econazole is an antifungal agent commonly used to treat superficial fungal infections. We conducted in vitro experiments using well-established biofilm models to evaluate the viability and metabolic activity of biofilm cells and the integrity of the biofilm matrix. Our results showed that the combination of Lactoferrin and Econazole significantly reduced biofilm formation compared to Econazole alone, particularly in Candida krusei biofilms. Confocal scanning laser microscopy confirmed the disruption of preformed biofilms by the combination treatment. These findings suggest that the synergistic effect of Lactoferrin and Econazole enhances their antifungal activity and holds promise for combating Candida biofilm-associated infections. Further preclinical and clinical investigations are needed to explore the full therapeutic potential of this combination in managing recurrent or persistent Candida infections. This research contributes to the development of innovative strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of fungal-related morbidity and mortality.

KEYWORDS:

Fungal infections, Candida species, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Biofilms, Antifungal treatments, Lactoferrin, Econazole, Antifungal effect, Biofilm models.