Infectious Disease: The Herbal Bioactive Polyphenols That Stop Over Growth of Candida Albicans

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Green tea may have a therapeutic and positive effect in reduced risk and progression and treatment of Candidiasis, some scientists suggested.
Candida albicans are members of a large group of micro organism whose cells contain complex structures enclosed within the membranes, including yeast, fungi, and mold, living among the gut flora in the human mouth and gastrointestinal tract. 

Over growth of candida is also known as candidiasis, affecting skin, including the skin of the vagina, the penis, and the mouth.

In severe cases, the yeast over growth also cause infection of blood and internal organs such as the liver, lung and spleen.

Some researchers suggested that candidiasis can weaken the immune function, therefore, the infection has a strongly negative implication in people with damage immune diseases, such as AIDS. Particularly, people are treated with chemotherapy for cancer.

Unhealthy diet and life style are associated to increased risk of candida over growth. The article, “Lifestyle Habits That Lead to Yeast Infections” By Gina Roberts-Grey and Reviewed by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD, wrote, “…..modifying some everyday habits can alleviate yeast infection symptoms and reduce the odds you will have a vaginal infection” and “Many women don’t realize they have the ability to reduce their chances of developing a yeast infection”(4).

Symptoms of candadissis is totally depending to the infected locations. Vaginal yeast infection can cause discharge of a thick, white, clumpy (cottage-cheese-like) substance with odor, leading to itches, urinary burning sensation and painful sexual intercourse.

In nail, the yeast infection can cause painful, red, swollen around the nail.

In mouth, the infection may induce cracked, red at the corners of the mouth. 

Green tea, is a precious drink processed numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and Western world.

In the investigation of The effectiveness of the synergistic herbal based composition of purified catechins with fluconazole, amphotericin B and copper sulphate against Candida albicans (MTCC 3017) and Candida glabrata (MTCC 3019), researchers found that

* According to the time kill assay, catechins demonstrated twice efficacy in the same at minimum inhibitory concentration in compared to antimycotics.

*Additional copper sulphate injection, increased anticandidal efficacy of synergistic combinations by 0.4% to 6.63%. 

* The combination significantly induced cytotoxicity with a high percentage viability (≥91.4% to≥100%) of Vero cell line without inducing harm to nearby healthy cells.

Base on these results, Dr. Ning Y, the lead scientist said, “(the) present evaluated synergistic composition can confer promising anticandidal efficacy” and (Howerver, These result) requires further investigation of safety and translational guidelines for effective and safer green tea based potent therapeutic drug”.

Further evaluation of green tea bioactive polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in inhibited the growth of Candida albicans planktonic cells and enhanced the antifungal activity of antimycotics of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida kefyr and Candida krusei, the Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo filed the reports as follows

* Green tea EGCG  exerted a synergistic activity with miconazole, fluconazole or amphotericin B against most test planktonic and biofilm cells of Candida species (FIC≤0.5).

* All biofilm cells were significantly more resistant to EGCG and antimycotics (20-3200 times higher) in compared with their planktonic counterparts.

These results suggested, “EGCG enhances the antifungal effects of miconazole, fluconazole and amphotericin B. Combined treatment with EGCG may lower the dosages of antimycotics, thus preventing adverse effects and the emergence of drug-resistant oral Candida species”.

Interestingly, the assessment of antifungal activity of catechin pH dependently, displayed that

* The concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) causing 90% growth inhibition of tested strains of C. albicans was 2000 mg/L at pH 6.0, 500-1000 mg/L at pH 6.5 and 15.6-250 mg/L at pH 7.0.

* Among catechins, pyrogallol catechin showed stronger antifungal activity against C. albicans than catechol catechin.

* The addition of 6.25-25 or 3.12-12.5 mg/L EGCG to amphotericin B 0.125 or 0.25 mg/L (below MIC) at pH 7.0 resulted in enhancement, respectively, of the antifungal effect of amphotericin B against amphotericin B-susceptible or -resistant C. albicans. 

* Combined treatment with 3.12-12.5 mg/L EGCg plus amphotericin B 0.5 mg/L (below MIC) markedly decreased the growth of amphotericin B-resistant C. albicans.
* Fluconazole-susceptible C. albicans was treated with 25-50 mg/L EGCg and fluconazole 0.125-0.25 mg/L (below MIC), its growth was inhibited by 93.0%-99.4% compared with its growth in the presence of fluconazole alone.

* The combined use of 12.5 mg/L EGCg and fluconazole 10-50 mg/L (below MIC) inhibited the growth of fluconazole-resistant C. albicans by 98.5%-99.7%.

The findings suggested that green tea extract and its bioactive polyphonels may be used alone to reduced risk and treatment or secondary therapy in enhanced standard medicine for treatment of Candidiasis..

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Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.caAuthor Biography

Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrients, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it’s news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada – Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Anticandidal synergistic activity of green tea catechins, antimycotics and copper sulphate as a mean of combinational drug therapy against candidiasis by Anand J1, Rai N2(PubMed)
(2) Synergistic effects of tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate and antimycotics against oral Candida species by Ning Y1, Ling J2, Wu CD3.(PubMed)
(3) Multiple effects of green tea catechin on the antifungal activity of antimycotics against Candida albicans by Hirasawa M1, Takada K.(PubMed)
(4) Lifestyle Habits That Lead to Yeast Infections By Gina Roberts-Grey, Reviewed by Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD