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Microbiol Biotechnol Rep | Volume 1, Issue 2
November 16-17, 2017 Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Annual Congress on
Mycology and Fungal Infections
Biofilm induction in mucormycosis-causing fungi and the synergistic antifungal activity
of Amphotericin B and thyme oil
Karaleen Anderson, Olga Ruiz Kopp and Mariel Hatch
Utah Valley University, USA
F
ungal infections caused by opportunistic pathogens have gained clinical importance in the last decade, with
a significant increase in infections due to the
Zygomycetes, Mucor, Rhizopus and Absidia
. These serious and
sometimes fatal infections are often associated with biofilm formation. The formation of biofilm often increases
resistance to antifungal agents when compared to free living colonies. This study investigates both the biofilm
formation and the antifungal susceptibility of two species known to cause mucormycosis infections namely:
Rhizopus oryzae
and
Absidia corymbifera
. Upon successful biofilm formation, the synergistic effects between
thyme oil and amphotericin B were tested. Results indicate that both
R. oryzae
and
A. corymbifera
are able
to form biofilms under specific conditions and that these biofilms were significantly inhibited by Thyme oil.
The MIC
50
of thyme oil on
Absidia corymbifera
and
Rhizopus oryzae
was 0.0005 μL/mL and 0.0001 μL/mL
respectively. Results also indicate a strong synergistic relationship between Amphotericin B and Thyme oil when
used in combination against fungal biofilms.
koppol@uvu.edu