EVALUATION OF ANTICANDIDAL ACTIVITIES OF SPIRULINA METABOLITE AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANCE

In this pilot study, Zarrouk medium was optimized in terms of biomass production and metabolites for the culture growth of, Spirulina species; Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis and their extract were tested against a nosocomial fungal species Candida albicans (C. albicans) to explore anticandidal activity. The corresponding growth and metabolite were measured in terms of turbidity, chlorophyll, carotenoids and protein contents. The culture was harvested by centrifugation and extracted with 75% methanol by freeze thaw method. Supernatant was collected, evaporated to dryness and stored at -20 ⁰C. Anticandidal activities were assessed based on the agar-well diffusion method. The lawn of C. albicans was maintained at 1.5×10⁵ CFU/ml on Sarbourd dextrose (SD) agar plates under sterile conditions. The plates were dried at 37 ⁰C for 30 min. Wells of 6_mm diameter were created by using sterile agar borer. The dried supernatants were dissoluted in normal saline (0.8% NaCl) and poured in each well (100µl); Control well carried 100µl normal saline. Poured wells were incubated for 18 h at 37 ⁰C and after that measured the zone of growth inhibition. Anticandidal activity was found to be maximum in the dissolute of late stationary phase of S. maxima where in S. platensis dissolute was less effective. The study concludes that antifungal activity of Spirulina species should be explored on the basis of their metabolite structure and function which is needed to develop an effective edible fungicide in near future.