RESUMO
Chitosan is a D-glucosamine polysaccharide derived from chitin that displays an antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Objective: to evaluate the antifungal effect of high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC) in clinical strains of Candida spp. Methodology: the susceptibility of forty strains of Candida spp. to HMWC was studied (16 C albicans, 11 C glabrata, 5 C. tropicalis, 5 C krusei, 2 C parapsilosis and 2 C.famatd) by broth microdilution at pH 7.0 and pH 4.0. Results: of 40 strains, only 2 were inhibited at pH 7.0 and corresponded to ATCC control strains (C. krusei 6258 and C parapsilosis 22019). On the other hand, 37/40 strains (92.5 percent) were inhibited by concentrations lower than 1.25 mg/mL of HMWC at pH 4.0. Conclusion: these results show that HMWC, presents activity against clinical Candida spp. strains, including C glabrata, and that this activity is present at acid pH (4.0). This compound could potentially be used in vulvovaginal candidiasis since it occurs at pH 4.0-4.5.