Effect of Eugenol in presence and absence of nutrients (glucose and Xylose) on H+ATPase of C. albicans.

candida albicans is an Opportunistic human pathogen causes both superficial and life threatening mycoses fatal for immuno comprised patients. Many essential oils of spices possess antimycotic properties. The electrochemical gradient generated by PM-H+ATPase of C. albicans drives nutrient transport. H+ ATPase is associated with yeast to hyphal transition, later form being more pathogenic. It is thus important to identify spice extracts which apart from having low MIC also have a profound effect on H+ ATPase. With this in view we have investigated Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose) on H+ ATPase functioning through H+ extrusion measurement. The antifungal activity of Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose)was investigated by studying their effect on PM-ATPase mediated H+-Extrusion activity (H+ efflux) and growth of C. albicans (Disc diffusion and MIC).Eugenol inhibited the H+ ATPase as observed by H+ efflux monitored for 30 min. The oil has clear inhibitory effect on H+ efflux in the concentration range of 500µg/ml to 2000µg/ml. Eugenol has an inhibitory effect on growth and H+-Extrusion of H+ ATPase of C. albicans. Both glucose and xylose along with Eugenol have inhibitory effect on Candida growth but no such effect has been observed on H+-ATPase pump of the fungus. Eugenol has a potential to be exploited as future antifungal drug to target plasma membrane H+ ATPase of C. albicans and other pathogenic microbes