In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Chlorpromazine on the Growth of Candida Species: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Phenothiazines belong to the group of antipsychotic drugs which are frequently used in the treatment of psychotic patients. Chlorpromazine having aliphatic side chains is a prototype for phenothiazines, with significant sedative and antipsychotic effects. This drug has been widely used in the treatment of psychotic patients since 1950’s. Recently, attention was drawn to beneficiary effects on the alleviation of gastrointestinal symptoms in cholera, as the drug inhibits the enzyme adenyl cyclase, consequently decreasing the intestinal secretions, which leads to the reduction of the loss of electrolytes ^1.2. It was also demonstrated that the drug had an in vitro antibacterial effect, acting as a membrane stabilizer on the strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio cholerae ³.In a previous study, we observed its outcome on a wide range of bacteria and noted the bacteriostatic results especially on Gram-positive bacteria ⁴. This prompted us to examine whether this drug had similar consequences on different microorganisms, and an investigation was carried out on the Candida species. According to the best of our knowledge, no such study exists in the literature.