The candidacidal activity of indole-3-carbinol that binds with DNA.

The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro anticandidal activity of Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and its mode of action against Candida albicans. The results indicated that I3C exhibited candidacidal activity in an energy-independent manner without hemolytic effect on human erythrocytes. To understand the anticandidal mode of action of I3C, gel retardation and fluorescence quenching experiments were conducted against Candida albicans. The results suggest that I3C may exert anticandidal activity by binding to DNA. The present study indicates that I3C has considerable anticandidal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications.