Vitamin B3 may be effective in fighting fungal infections, Canadian researchers have said.

Studies in mice indicate C. albicans enzyme, known as Hst3, essential to the growth and survival of the yeast infection Candida albicans, can be inhibited with nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, say researchers at the University of Montreal.

Researcher Martine Raymond said in a statement, "There is an urgent need to develop new therapies to kill C. albicans because it is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections and is associated with high mortality rates. Although many issues remain to be investigated, the results of our study are very exciting and they constitute an important first step in the development of new therapeutic agents to treat fungal infections without major side effects for patients."

Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study also concluded both normal and drug-resistant strains of C. albicans were susceptible to nicotinamide. (With Inputs from Agencies)