Synergistic Antimicrobial Activity of Berberine Hydrochloride, Baicalein and Borneol against Candida albicans

Objective To determine the synergistic effects of berberine hydrochloride, baicalein,and borneol in different combinations on Candida albicans. Methods The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration(MBC) of the three agents, and the checkerboard method was simultaneously used to determine the MIC and fractional inhibitory concentration index(FICI) of the combination of three antimicrobial agents to study their extracorporeal effects. Results Berberine hydrochloride was the most potent inhibitor of C. albicans(MIC and MBC of 0.160 and 0.640 mg/mL), followed by borneol(MIC and MBC of 0.320 and 0.640 mg/mL) and baicalein(MIC and MBC of 1.28 and 20.48 mg/mL). Moreover, the antifungal effect of the combination was significantly stronger than that tested alone. Further in vivo study showed that the mortality rate of tainted mice reduced over 50% compared with the control group. Conclusion The results of experiments in vitro and in vivo indicate the synergistic effect of the combination of three antimicrobial agents on C. albicans, which can make reference for the future clinical treatment.