Grape Seed Extract helps fight dangerous fungal infections

Amphotericin B (Amp B) is used by injection to treat life-threatening fungal (yeast) infections. Amp B is toxic and additional agents are added to it to decrease the necessary dosage. However, Candida is becoming resistant to the add-ons. A suitable additive is desirable to decrease the dosage of Amp B needed to successfully treat the infection and thereby decrease the risk of side effects and toxicity.

In this study Grape Seed Extract was added to the infectious yeast Candida albicans and it successfully inhibited growth of the yeast. If Mice were injected with Candida yeast causing a systemic infection; they survived just 11.4 days if given placebo. If the same mice were injected with the yeast and given Amp B they survived for 14.4 days. Grape Seed Extract was even stronger than the drug for sparing the lives of infected mice increasing their survival span to 17.6 days. However, when the Grape Seed was combined with Amp B the results were striking improving survival time significantly to 38.4 days. Giving Amp B at four times the dosage used in the combination drug-Grape Seed still failed to reach as long a survival time. The scientists state that combining Grape Seed Extract with Amp B can reduce the necessary dosage by more than 75% in patients. The study is published in the November 5th, 2007 issue of the journal Phytomedicine.