Antimicrobial Effect of Albumin on Bacteria and Yeast Cells

Resumo

We studied the effect of albumin (human serum, bovine serum, and ovalbumin) on Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus cells. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by microscopy, inoculation, and spectrophotometry. All three albumins showed antimicrobial activity against all studied cultures and their effect was dose-dependent. At concentrations of serum albumins close to physiological (50 mg/ml), the cells of microorganisms were destroyed with the formation of debris vesicles, while at lower concentrations (10 mg/ml), only cell membrane integrity was impaired. According to spectrophotometry, activity of the human serum albumin in a physiological concentration against the studied microorganisms was close to the activity of native human serum.