NEW IN-VITRO ASSAY BASED ON GLUCOSE CONSUMPTION FOR DETERMINING ITRACONAZOLE AND AMPHOTERICIN-B ACTIVITIES AGAINST ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS

We developed a new in vitro method of evaluating antifungal molecules. Fungal growth was determined by measuring glucose consumption, the on ly carbon source in a synthetic medium. First, the growth of 12 Asperg illus fumigatus strains was studied. Glucose consumption was an excell ent indicator of fungal growth. Second, the partial inhibition of grow th was calculated in terms of the 90% or 50% inhibitory concentration for the 12 strains after treatment with itraconazole and amphotericin B. With a 3-day incubation time, the calculated 90% and 50% inhibitory concentrations agreed with those obtained by a macromethod and with t hose reported in previous publications. In each case the high degrees of efficacy of itraconazole and amphotericin B against A. fumigatus we re confirmed. Partial inhibition induced by low concentrations of anti fungal agents was quantifiable by this new method.