Mar. Drugs 2010, 8(10), 2597-2604; doi:10.3390/md8102597
Article

Effect of Marine Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis

Vuyisile S. Thibane 1 email, Johan L. F. Kock 1 email, Ruan Ells 1 email, Pieter W. J. van Wyk 2 email and Carolina H. Pohl 1,* email
1 Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa 2 Center for Microscopy, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 2 September 2010; in revised form: 27 September 2010 / Accepted: 28 September 2010 / Published: 8 October 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Lipids)
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Abstract: The effect of marine polyunsaturated fatty acids on biofilm formation by the human pathogens Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis was investigated. It was found that stearidonic acid (18:4 n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3) have an inhibitory effect on mitochondrial metabolism of both C. albicans and C. dubliniensis and that the production of biofilm biomass by C. dubliniensis was more susceptible to these fatty acids than C. albicans. Ultrastructural differences, which may be due to increased oxidative stress, were observed between treated and untreated cells of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis with formation of rough cell walls by both species and fibrillar structures in C. dubliniensis. These results indicate that marine polyunsaturated fatty acids may be useful in the treatment and/or prevention of biofilms formed by these pathogenic yeasts.
Keywords: Candida albicans; Candida dubliniensis; polyunsaturated fatty acids

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MDPI and ACS Style

Thibane, V.S.; Kock, J.L.F.; Ells, R.; Wyk, P.W.J.; Pohl, C.H. Effect of Marine Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis. Mar. Drugs 2010, 8, 2597-2604.

AMA Style

Thibane VS, Kock JLF, Ells R, Wyk PWJ, Pohl CH. Effect of Marine Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis. Marine Drugs. 2010; 8(10):2597-2604.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thibane, Vuyisile S.; Kock, Johan L. F.; Ells, Ruan; Wyk, Pieter W. J. van; Pohl, Carolina H. 2010. "Effect of Marine Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Biofilm Formation of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis." Mar. Drugs 8, no. 10: 2597-2604.

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