The Isolation and Identification of Candida Glabrata from Avian Species and a Study of the Antibacterial Activities of Chinese Herbal Medicine In-Vitro

Abstract: Previously, a fungus was isolated from a diseased pigeon group clinically suspected of being infected with Candida. The fungus was subsequently identified as Candida glabrata using morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology testing methods. In the present study, in order to determine the controlling effects of Chinese herbal medicine for Candida glabrata, the bacteriostatic effects of the ethanol extracts Acorus gramineus, Sophora flavescens, Polygonum hydropiper, Cassia obtusifolia, Pulsatilla chinensis, Dandelion, and Cortex phellodendri on Candida glabrata in-vitro were analyzed. The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC80) of Cortex phellodendri was 0.25 μg/μL. Meanwhile, that of Sophora flavescens was 32 μg/μL; Cassia obtusifolia was 56 μg/μL; Acorus gramineus and Polygonum hydropiper was 64 μg/μL; and Pulsatilla chinensis was 112 μg/μL. However, MIC80 for Dandelion was undetectable. In addition, improved drug sensitivity tests revealed that colonies had grown after 24 hours in the blank group, as well as the Polygonum hydropiper, Pulsatilla chinensis, Dandelion, and ethanol groups. The colonies first appeared at the 48-hour point in the other drug sensitive medium of Chinese herbal medicine. However, no colony growth was found in Cortex phellodendri medium, and the formation of the maximum colony diameter in that group was later than the blank group (for example, 96 hours in the blank group and 120 hours in the Chinese herbal medicine group). It was observed that only 17 colony forming units (CFU) had grown in 125 μg/μL of the Sophora flavescens medium, which was significantly different from other groups. Also, the final colony diameter was significantly smaller than those of the other experimental groups. Therefore, it was determined that the Acorus gramineus, Sophora flavescens, Polygonum hydropiper, Cassia obtusifolia, Pulsatilla chinensis, and Cortex phellodendri had certain inhibitory effects on the growth of the Candida glabrata. Among those, it was observed that the Cortex phellodendri had the strongest inhibitory effects, followed by the Sophora flavescens. In the future, these Chinese herbal medicines are expected to be used to treat the fungal infections related to Candida glabrata in poultry in order to improve production performance.