Microbial conversion of tomato by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum 21: a biotechnological approach to control pathogenic Candida species

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticandidal effects of bioconverted products, obtained from the microbial conversion of tomato fruits (Solanum esculentum) by a plant pathogenic bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc21) against clinical and laboratory isolates of Candida species. The bioconverted products (500 μg/disc) exhibited a potential anticandidal effect as diameters of the inhibition zones against Candida albicans KBN06P00565, C. albicans KBN06P00566, C. glabrata KBN06P00368, C. albicans KACC 30062, C. albicans KACC 30004 and C. albicans KCTC 7270 were measured in the range of 11 ± 0.7 to 17 ± 0.1 mm. The minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentration values of bioconverted products against the tested pathogens were ranged from 125 to 500 and 125 to 1000 μg/ml, respectively. The bioconverted products also exerted a remarkable anticandidal effect on the viable counts of the tested fungal isolates. In addition, a scanning electron microscopic study revealed altered or lysed morphology of C. albicans KACC 30062 at the MIC concentration of the bioconverted products. These results suggest that bioconverted products of tomato by Pcc21 could be used as alternative bio-medicinal products against Candida species.