BACKGROUND: Anticancer/antineoplastic agents could be a good resource for the discovery of novel antifungal agents and targets since human beings share a common eukaryotic heritage with fungi. METHODS: Thirty commonly prescribed anticancer drugs belonging to 12 different classes were analyzed for their effects on the growth of Candida albicans. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were obtained using standard CLSI-M27 A2 methodology, and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were determined via the agar plate method. RESULTS: Anticancer agents inhibited the growth of C. albicans in a concentration-dependent manner. Nine drugs from different classes were effective at low concentrations (≤50 μg·ml(-1)), while 15 anticancer drugs exhibited MICs of 100 μg·ml(-1). Sixteen out of 30 drugs exerted fungicidal activity in the range of 400-800 μg·ml(-1). CONCLUSIONS: MICs and MFCs for 30 anticancer drugs were established against C. albicans. Our study highlighted the anti-Candida potential of these drugs, which may give insights to unexplored targets for antifungal chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND: Anticancer/antineoplastic agents could be a good resource for the discovery of novel antifungal agents and targets since human beings share a common eukaryotic heritage with fungi. METHODS: Thirty commonly prescribed anticancer drugs belonging to 12 different classes were analyzed for their effects on the growth of Candida albicans. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were obtained using standard CLSI-M27 A2 methodology, and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were determined via the agar plate method. RESULTS: Anticancer agents inhibited the growth of C. albicans in a concentration-dependent manner. Nine drugs from different classes were effective at low concentrations (≤50 μg·ml(-1)), while 15 anticancer drugs exhibited MICs of 100 μg·ml(-1). Sixteen out of 30 drugs exerted fungicidal activity in the range of 400-800 μg·ml(-1). CONCLUSIONS: MICs and MFCs for 30 anticancer drugs were established against C. albicans. Our study highlighted the anti-Candida potential of these drugs, which may give insights to unexplored targets for antifungal chemotherapy.