Enhancement of the fungicidal activity of amphotericin B by allicin, an allyl-sulfur compound from garlic, against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system.

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a representative antibiotic for the control of serious fungal infections, and its fungicidal activity was greatly enhanced by allicin, an allyl-sulfur compound from garlic. In addition to the plasma membrane permeability change, AmB induced vacuole membrane damage so that the organelles were visible as small discrete particles. Although allicin was ineffective in promoting AmB-induced plasma membrane disability, this compound enhanced AmB-induced structural damage to the vacuolar membrane even at a non-lethal dose of the antibiotic. Allicin could also enhance the antifungal activity of AmB against the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans and against Aspergillus fumigatus. In contrast, allicin did not enhance the cytotoxic activity of AmB against cells of human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), a vacuole-less organism.