FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY OF LATEX SAP FROM CARICA-PAPAYA AND ANTIFUNGAL EFFECT OF D(-GLUCOSAMINE ON CANDIDA-ALBICANS GROWTH())

Carica papaya latex sap inhibits the growth of Candida albicans when a dded to a culture during the exponential growth phase. Approximately 6 0% was achieved. This fungistatic effect is the result of cell wall de gradation due to a lack of polysaccharidic constituents in the outermo st layers of the fungal cell wall and release of cell debris into the culture medium. When C. albicans was cultured on medium supplemented w ith D(+)-glucosamine, an inhibitor of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, growth was inhibited (34%) in a similar manner. Addition of D(+)-gluc osamine during the exponential growth phase also had a fungistatic eff ect (26%). The modes of action of C. papaya latex and of D(+)-glucosam ine in cell wall breakdown are discussed.