형방지황탕은 한의학에서 중요한 약처방으로 인간의 기력 회복에 약효가 탁월한 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 형방지황탕으로부터 항생 물질(HTI)을 분리하여 항진균활성 및 그 작용기작을 검토하였다. 그 결과 각종 병원성 진균에 대해 항진균 활성을 나타내었으며, 인간 적혈구에 대해서는 세포독성이 나타나지 않은 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 캔디다 알비칸스를 대상으로 스트레스 방어기작과 세포 이형성 유도에 HTI이 미치는 영향을 검토한 결과, 트리 할로즈의 증가와 이형성 유도에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타나 이러한 현상이 항진균활성에 상관관계가 있음을 확인하였으며, 또한 진균의 세포주기에 미치는 영향도 항진균 활성의 요인이 됨을 밝혔다.
Hyungbangjihwang-Tang (HT), an Oriental herbal formula, has been known to play a role which helps to recover vigor of human in the Orient. In this study, antifungal substance (HTI) was purified from the ethyl-acetate extracts of HT by using $SiO_2$ column chromatography and HPLC, and the antifungal effects of HTI and its mode of action were investigated. By using a broth micro-dilution assay, the activity of HTI was evaluated against fungi. HTI showed antifungal activities without hemolytic effect against human erythrocytes. To confirm antifungal activity of HTI, we examined the accumulation of intracellular trehalose as stress response on toxic agents and effect on dimorphic transition in Candida albicans. The results demonstrated that HTI induced the accumulation of intracellular trehalose and exerted its antifungal effect by disrupting the mycelial forms. To understand its antifungal mode of action, cell cycle analysis was performed with C. albicans, and the results showed HTI arrested the cell cycle at the S phase in yeast. The present study indicates that HTI has considerable antifungal activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications.
