DS6: anticandidal, antibiofilm peptide against Candida tropicalis and exhibit synergy with commercial drug.

Antifungal peptides have gained interest as therapeutic agents in recent years because of increased multidrug resistance against present antifungal drugs. This study designed, synthesized and characterized antifungal activity of a small peptide analogue, DS6. This peptide was designed using the template from the N-terminal part of the antifungal protein, Aspergillus giganteous. DS6 inhibited Candida tropicalis (ATCC 13803), as well as its clinical isolates. DS6 was found to be a fungicidal, killing the fungus very rapidly. DS6 is also non-toxic to human cells. Synergistic interactions of DS6 with amphotericin B and fluconazole were also evident. DS6 is membrane lytic and exhibits antibiofilm activity against C. tropicalis. In conclusion, DS6 may have utility as an alternative antifungal therapy for C. tropicalis. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.