Abstract
Probable mechanism(s) of antifungal activity of SJA-95, a heptaene polyene antibiotic
Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, Prin. K. M. Kundnani College of Pharmacy, Plot No 23, Jote Joy Building, R. S. Marg, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai-400 005, India
Correspondence Address:
S R Naik Sinhgad Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, S. No 305/310, Kusgaon, Mumbai Pune Express Way, Pune-410 401 India E-mail: srnaik5@rediffmail.com
A new strain, streptomyces sp. S. 24 was isolated from a soil sample collected from Japan. The strain produced heptaene polyene antibiotic, SJA-95, in submerged culture and found to elicit promising antifungal activity against yeasts, filamentous fungi and clinical isolates, both in vitro and in vivo. Experimental studies were carried out using biological methods to understand the probable mechanism(s) of antifungal activity of SJA-95. Our experimental findings suggest that SJA-95 binds more avidly to ergosterol, the sterol in fungal cell membranes, than to cholesterol found in mammalian cell membranes. Such preferential binding of SJA-95 to ergosterol might help to establish its usefulness as a chemotherapeutic agent with lesser adverse reactions.
