ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
R. Rachel1, M. Anuradha2 and K.V. Leela1
1Department of Microbiology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu India.
2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu India.
Article Number: 9022 | © The Author(s). 2024
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2024;18(1):381-388. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.18.1.20
Received: 27 September 2023 | Accepted: 23 January 2024 | Published online: 24 February 2024
Issue online: March 2024
Abstract

Most bacteria and fungi are capable of producing biofilms, enabling them to thrive in nature on distinct surfaces. Biofilm formation stands out as one of the most prominent virulence mechanisms that contribute to the infection’s chronicity by functioning as a defense against antimicrobials and host immune systems. Microbial isolates capable of generating biofilms have been discovered to possess higher resistance to frequently administered antifungal drugs. In this research study, 91 Candida isolates from Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) patients were tested for biofilm development. Candida species were identified, and clinical isolates were tested for antifungal susceptibility (AST). Three methods were used to screen the isolates: the Congo agar method (CRA), the visual tube method (VT), and the Microtitre plate method (MTP). Nearly 60% of the 91 clinical isolates tested were recognized as Non-Albicans Candida (NCAC) species. Itraconazole resistance was shown to be the highest in clinical isolates, followed by Amphotericin B resistance. There were 11(12.09%) isolates that formed strong biofilms, 35(38.46%) isolates that formed moderate biofilms, and 45(49.45%) isolates that formed no biofilm. Because there is a growing incidence of NCAC in the study, it is critical to speciate the Candida species as NCAC are more resistant to routinely used azole medicines. Furthermore, a spike in the prevalence of biofilm producers has been reported, implying greater pathogenicity and antifungal resistance.

Keywords

Microtitre Plate Method, Congo Red Agar Method, Itraconazole Resistance, Fluconazole Resistance, Antifungal Resistance

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© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.