Candida albicans isolated from buccal cavity of children with Down's syndrome:: occurrence and growth inhibition by Streptomyces sp

Comparison of the presence of Candida yeasts in the buccal cavity of children without and with Down's syndrome showed a statistically significant difference in the case of children that were affected by this chromosomopathy, rendering them more predisposed to buccal candidiasis, probably due to anatomicophysiologic alterations of the mouth resulting from trisomy of chromosome 21. Constant recurrence of buccal candidiasis in children with this chromosomal alteration lead to the search for a possible therapeutic alternative. Seeking to determine the antifungal activity of Streptomyces sp isolated from various Brazilian soils, 5 strains have been tested for Candida albicans isolated from the buccal cavity of children with Down's syndrome. It was observed that the isolate presented a diversity in the size of the halos (9-31mm in diameter) of growth inhibition of the yeasts, suggesting a possible use as a therapeutic antifungal.