FR227244 is a novel triterpene glycoside that exhibits
in vitro antifungal activity against filamentous fungi such as
Aspergillus sp. and
Trichophyton sp. and yeast such as
Candida utilis and
Candida parapsilosis but shows low activity against
Candida albicans, Candida krusei and
Candida tropicalis. Specifically, FR227244 exhibits
in vitro and
in vivo antifungal activity against
Aspergillus fumigatus. The minimum effective concentration (MEC) of FR227244 against
A. fumigatus FP1305 in a micro-broth dilution test was 0.031μg/ml. FR227244 showed good efficacy by subcutaneous injection and oral administration against
A. fumigatus in a murine systemic infection model, with ED
50s of 1.9 and 18mg/kg, respectively. FR227244 inhibited glucan synthesis in a 1, 3-β-glucan synthase assay weakly and in whole cells strongly, but did not effect other macromolecule synthesis, including protein, nucleic acids, mannan and chitin. These results and the effect on hyphal morphology of
A. fumigatus suggested that FR227244 showed antifungal activity based on inhibition of glucan synthesis.
View full abstract