ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida species. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Quaid-e-Azam International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January 2014 to February 2015, and comprised different clinical samples which were analysed for various types of microbial infections. Species differentiation was confirmed by biochemical and molecular methods. Antifungal susceptibility against amphotericin B, fluconazole and voriconazole was determined by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M44-A disk diffusion method. RESULTS: Of the 219 Candida isolates, majority of them were isolated from urine 78(35.6%) and vaginal swabs 59(26.9%). Moreover, 144(65.8%) samples were of females and 75(34.2%) were of males. Candida albicans 128(58.45%) was the most predominant species followed by Candida glabrata 30(13.69%), Candida tropicalis 26(11.87%), Candida krusei 17(7.76%), Candida parapsilosis 12(5.47%), Candida dubliniensis 3(1.37%) and Candida lusitaniae 3(1.37). All isolates were least susceptible to amphotericin B with a susceptibility rate of 213(97.26%). The highest resistance was found for voriconazole 40(18.26%) compared to fluconazole 32(14.61%). CONCLUSIONS: Candida species possessed high resistance rate against various antifungal agents.
Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Candida/drug effects , Candidiasis/microbiology , Drug Resistance, Fungal , Respiratory Tract Infections/microbiology , Urinary Tract Infections/microbiology , Adolescent , Adult , Amphotericin B/pharmacology , Candida/isolation & purification , Candida albicans/drug effects , Candida albicans/isolation & purification , Candida glabrata/drug effects , Candida glabrata/isolation & purification , Candida parapsilosis/drug effects , Candida parapsilosis/isolation & purification , Candida tropicalis/drug effects , Candida tropicalis/isolation & purification , Candidiasis/epidemiology , Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal/epidemiology , Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal/microbiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Fluconazole/pharmacology , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Inpatients , Male , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Middle Aged , Molecular Epidemiology , Outpatients , Pakistan/epidemiology , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Tertiary Care Centers , Urinary Tract Infections/epidemiology , Voriconazole/pharmacology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Actinobacteria are quotidian microorganisms in the marine world, playing a crucial ecological role in the recycling of refractory biomaterials and producing novel secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical applications. Actinobacteria have been isolated from the huge area of marine organisms including sponges, tunicates, corals, mollusks, crabs, mangroves and seaweeds. Natural products investigation of the marine actinobacteria revealed that they can synthesize numerous natural products including alkaloids, polyketides, peptides, isoprenoids, phenazines, sterols, and others. These natural products have a potential to provide future drugs against crucial diseases like cancer, HIV, microbial and protozoal infections and severe inflammations. Therefore, marine actinobacteria portray as a pivotal resource for marine drugs. It is an upcoming field of research to probe a novel and pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites from marine actinobacteria. In this review, we attempt to summarize the present knowledge on the diversity, chemistry and mechanism of action of marine actinobacteria-derived secondary metabolites from 2007 to 2016.
