In-vitro fungicidal activities of graphene oxide towards candida albicans

An abstract of the research paper was presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, in partial requirement for the course DVT 55402 – Research Project. Candidiasis is an opportunistic mycotic disease of the digestive tract infecting many avian species. Candidiasis is caused by fungal yeast Candida albicans (C. albicans) ubiquitously in the environment. Nowadays, Candida albicans become one of the emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens which infect various avian species, resulting in stunted growth, diarrhea and multiple cutaneous scabs. The treatment for candidiasis includes administration of antifungal drugs, which has been partially successful due to development of resistance. Thus, it is important to investigate for an alternative treatment particularly for improvement of overall animal health. This research aimed to determine the fungicidal effects of graphene oxide against Candida albicans in vitro and to determine the toxicity effects of graphene oxide against Feline Kidney (CRFK) cells in-vitro. The study’s demonstrated that graphene oxide at maximum concentration of 400 mg/mL did not exhibit antifungal activities against Candida albicans. Also, the compound also did not show any toxicity effect towards mammalian cells. In conclusion, graphene oxide was not effective at the concentration tested and may not be useful as antifungal against Candida albicans.
Keywords: Graphene oxide, Candida albicans, Candidiasis, CRFK cells