ISOLATION & EVALUATION OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF THE SEMI SYNTHETIC DERIVATIVES OF LYCOPENE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of lycopene tomato-extracts and their derivative used in fungal infections against the Candida albicans fungus. Lycopene is red carotenoid pigment having scientific values because of its potential biological function. It has a natural source of antioxidant. This project highlights the scientific value and significance of lycopene as therapeutic agent. Now a day?s human fungal infection and fungal resistance is increasing due to increased Tuberculosis, cancer, HIV and various infections. So is makes necessary to discover or modify the new class of antifungal compounds to treat and cure the fungal infections. As we know that plants contains rich source of many bioactive secondary metabolite such as carotenoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and other constituents were reported to have in vitro antimicrobial properties. Therefore the research on natural products and isolated contents of natural products has been increases in the recent years due to their easy availability and their importance in drug discovery. The use of herbal antimicrobial such as lycopene and lycopene semi synthetic derivatives have been an alternate and effective way of treating candidiasis fungal infections because of the large scale resistance and adverse activities of the commercially available azole group of synthetic antifungal drugs for e.g. ketoconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, itraconazole etc because azoles antifungal are the most frequent class to treat candida infections. Approximately 1.5 million people affected due to various fungal infections globally.[9] Candidiasis is common and serious fungal infection caused by the candida albicans. However; candida normally lives on the skin surface and inside the body like; gut, vagina, mouth and throat without affecting and causing any problem. It can infect the individual cause infection grows out of control or if is enters deep inside the body for e.g. in brain, kidney and blood stream.