The antifungal activity of dermostatin.

Dermostatin is a polyene antibiotic which possesses a typical spectrum of antimicrobial activity. In vivo, by parenteral or oral administration, dermostatin was less effective than amphotericin B against Candida albicans. The in vivo activity of dermostatin was comparable to amphotericin B against Cryptococcus neoformans and Blastomyces dermatitidis ; amphotericin B was more effective than dermostatin against Histoplasma capsulatum. Further studies are needed to determine if dermostatin could be useful in the treatment of cryptococcosis or blastomycosis in man.