Antifungal activity of 25-azalanosterol against Candida species

The antifungal properties of 25-azalanosterol was investigated. Compared to normal antifungal reagents, fluoconazole, clotrimazole and voriconazole, it exhibited significant anti-Candida activity (the minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] ranges were 0.125–8, 0.5–8 and 0.5–32 µg/mL against C. albicans, C. krusei and C. glabrata, respectively), but showed little toxicity to mice liver cells at clinical dosage after 24 h of exposure, with the lowest lactate dehydrogenase and the highest ED₅₀ compared to four other azoles antifungal agents. 25-Azalanosterol inhibited the incorporation of [methyl-³H₃] AdoMet into the C-24 of ergosterol in whole cells of C. albicans. Thus, 25-azalanosterol, as an inhibitor of the growth of C. albicans in vitro, may have considerable potential as a new class of anti-Candida agent that lacks toxic side effects in the mammalian host.