Antifungal properties of solanum alkaloids.

The antifungal activities of several solanum alkaloids and their derivatives were examined against a variety of fungal strains such as Candida albicans and Trichophyton spp. Solacongestidine (I) showed the strongest activity (minimum inhibitory concentration) against C. albicans (0.8 ƒÊg/ml), T. rubrum (0.4 ƒÊg/ml) and Cryptococcus albidus (0.78 ƒÊg/ml), and also showed lesser activities against a wide range of fungi. Solafloridine (II) and verazine (VII) showed activities against C. albicans (3.1 and 6.2 ƒÊg/ml, respectively) and T. rubrum (25 and 3.1 ƒÊg/ml, respectively), while other alkaloids such as solasodine (III), tomatidine (IV), tomatillidine (V) and solanocapsine (VI) and related compounds (VIII-XIX) showed much lower activities. Solacongestidine also prolonged the survival time of mice infected with C. albicans.