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Concept
Candida krusei
Summary
Candida krusei is a budding yeast (a species of fungus) involved in chocolate production. Candida krusei is an emerging fungal nosocomial pathogen primarily found in the immunocompromised and those with hematological malignancies. It has natural resistance to fluconazole, a standard antifungal agent. It is most often found in patients who have had prior fluconazole exposure, sparking debate and conflicting evidence as to whether fluconazole should be used prophylactically. Mortality due to C. krusei fungemia is much higher than the more common C. albicans. Other Candida species that also fit this profile are C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. guillermondii and C. rugosa. Candida krusei is the anamorph name; the teleomorph name for the same organism is Pichia kudriavzevii. The International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF) and the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF) have proposed revising the standard name to Pichia kudriavzevii in 2021.
Candida krusei can be successfully treated with voriconazole, amphotericin B, and echinocandins (micafungin, caspofungin, and anidulafungin).
Cacao beans have to be fermented to remove the bitter taste and break them down. This takes place with two fungi: C. krusei and Geotrichum. Most of the time, the two fungi are already present on the seed pods and seeds of the cacao plant, but specific strains are used in modern chocolate making. Each chocolate company uses its own strains, which have been selected to provide optimum flavor and aroma to the chocolate.
The yeasts reproduce every few hours, and soon there are thousands of individual yeast cells in a small area, which produce enzymes to break down the pulp on the outside of the beans. This makes acetic acid, killing the cacao embryo inside the seed, developing a chocolatey aroma and eliminating the bitterness in the beans.
C. krusei grows at a maximum temperature of 43–45 °C. Although most of the medically important Candida spp. require biotin for growth and some have additional vitamin requirements, only C.
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