Background: New chemotherapeutics are urgently required to treat Candida infections caused by drug-resistant strains. Methods: The effects of 16 1,10-phenanthroline (phen)/1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione/dicarboxylate complexed with Mn(II), Cu(II) and Ag(I) were evaluated against ten different Candida species. Results: Proliferation of Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Candida famata, Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, Candida kefyr, Candida krusei, Candida lusitaniae, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis was inhibited by three of six Cu(II) (MICs 1.52-21.55 mu M), three of three Ag(I) (MICs 0.11-12.74 mu M) and seven of seven Mn(II) (MICs 0.40-38.06 mu M) complexes. Among these [Mn-2(oda)(phen)(4)(H2O)(2)][Mn-2(oda)(phen)(4)(oda)(2)].4H(2)O, where oda = octanedioic acid, exhibited effective growth inhibition (MICs 0.4-3.25 mu M), favorable activity indexes, low toxicity against Vero cells and good/excellent selectivity indexes (46.88-375). Conclusion: [Mn-2(oda)(phen)(4)(H2O)(2)][Mn-2(oda)(phen)(4)(oda)(2)].4H(2)O represents a promising chemotherapeutic option for emerging, medically relevant and drug-resistant Candida species.
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