Sensitization of Candida albicans to terbinafine by berberine and berberrubine.

Candida albicans ( C. albicans ) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, particularly observed in immunocompromised patients. C. albicans accounts for 50-70% of cases of invasive candidiasis in the majority of clinical settings. Terbinafine, an allylamine antifungal drug, has been used to treat fungal infections previously. It has fungistatic activity against C. albicans . Traditional Chinese medicines can be used as complementary medicines to conventional drugs to treat a variety of ailments and diseases. Berberine is a quaternary alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese herb, Coptidis Rhizoma , while berberrubine is isolated from the medicinal plant Berberis vulgaris , but is also readily derived from berberine by pyrolysis. The present study demonstrates the possible complementary use of berberine and berberrubine with terbinafine against C. albicans . The experimental findings assume that the potential application of these alkaloids together with reduced dosage of the standard drug would enhance the resulting antifungal potency.