STUDIES ON EFFECT OF MICROBIAL IRON CHELATORS ON CANDIDA ALBICAN

Iron is an essential for the life of all microbe cells. It generally exists in the oxidized form Fe(III). Even under anaerobic reducing condition the metal appear to be taken up as Fe(III). Thus free-living microorganisms require specific and effective ferric ion transport system to cope with low availability of the metal. In iron deficient environment they produce a low molecular weight specific chelators called siderophores or microbial iron chelators. Siderophores compete for limited supplied of iron. These compounds came out of the cell but cannot re-enter without iron due to high affinity of these siderophores to Fe(III). The siderophores often have more than one catechol/hydroxamate functions and are multi dentate (usually hexadenate ligands). The aim of the present research is to check the effect of iron chelators, namely gallic acid and salisyl hvdroxamate on the growth of Candida albican in vitro. C. albican is the opportunistic paltogen present as the normal flora inside human body. In vivo the growth of C. albican is disturbed by the use of antibiotics and immuno suppressers. In cases of iron over-dosage in human being, the patients are treated with certain iron chelators. Hence an attempt is made to notice the effect that might be inhibition or enhancement of the organism in vitro.