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Planta Med 1994; 60(6): 546-549
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959568
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

In Vitro Synergism of Concentrated Allium sativum Extract and Amphotericin B against Cryptococcus neoformans

Larry E. Davis1 , 2 , Jinkun Shen3 , Robert E. Royer4
  • 1Neurology Service (127), Veterans Administration Medical Center, 2100 Ridgecrest Drive, S.E. Albuquerque, NM 87108, U.S.A
  • 2Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.
  • 3Department of Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.
  • 4Department of Biochemistry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.
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Publication History

1994

1994

Publication Date:
05 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Allium sativum (garlic) derived preparations are used alone or with amphotericin B in Asia to treat human systemic fungal infections and cryptococcal meningitis. To evaluate the scientific merit of using allicin-derived compounds as an anti-fungal drug, we prepared a concentrated A. sativum extract that contained 34% allicin, 44% total thiosulfinates, and 20% vinyldithiins. We found that the concentrated extract possessed potent in vitro fungistatic and fungicidal activity against 3 different isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the concentrated garlic extract against 1 × 105 organisms of C. neoformans ranged from 6 to 12 µg/ml. In addition, in vitro synergistic fungistatic activity with amphotericin B was demonstrated against all isolates of C. neoformans. This study lends laboratory support for the treatment of cryptococcal infections with concentrated garlic extracts.

Key words

Cryptococcal meningitis - Allium sativum - Alliaceae - garlic - synergism - amphotericin B - Cryptococcus neoformans

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