scholarly journals Effects ofMentha suaveolensEssential Oil Alone or in Combination with Other Drugs inCandida albicans

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annarita Stringaro ◽  
Elisabetta Vavala ◽  
Marisa Colone ◽  
Federico Pepi ◽  
Giuseppina Mignogna ◽  
...  

Candidosis is the most important cause of fungal infections in humans. The yeastCandida albicanscan form biofilms, and it is known that microbial biofilms play an important role in human diseases and are very difficult to treat. The prolonged treatment with drugs has often resulted in failure and resistance. Due to the emergence of multidrug resistance, alternatives to conventional antimicrobial therapy are needed. This study aims to analyse the effects induced by essential oil ofMentha suaveolensEhrh (EOMS) onCandida albicansand its potential synergism when used in combination with conventional drugs. Morphological differences between control and EOMS treated yeast cells or biofilms were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM resp.,). In order to reveal the presence of cell cycle alterations, flow cytometry analysis was carried out as well. The synergic action of EOMS was studied with the checkerboard method, and the cellular damage induced by different treatments was analysed by TEM. The results obtained have demonstrated both the effects of EOMS onC. albicansyeast cells and biofilms and the synergism of EOMS when used in combination with conventional antifungal drugs as fluconazole (FLC) and micafungin (MCFG), and therefore we can hypothesize on its potential use in therapy. Further studies are necessary to know its mechanism of action.

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 648-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manzoor Ahmad Malik ◽  
Shabir Ahmad Lone ◽  
Parveez Gull ◽  
Ovas Ahmad Dar ◽  
Mohmmad Younus Wani ◽  
...  

Background: The increasing incidence of fungal infections, especially caused by Candida albicans, and their increasing drug resistance has drastically increased in recent years. Therefore, not only new drugs but also alternative treatment strategies are promptly required. Methods: We previously reported on the synergistic interaction of some azole and non-azole compounds with fluconazole for combination antifungal therapy. In this study, we synthesized some non-azole Schiff-base derivatives and evaluated their antifungal activity profile alone and in combination with the most commonly used antifungal drugs- fluconazole (FLC) and amphotericin B (AmB) against four drug susceptible, three FLC resistant and three AmB resistant clinically isolated Candida albicans strains. To further analyze the mechanism of antifungal action of these compounds, we quantified total sterol contents in FLC-susceptible and resistant C. albicans isolates. Results: A pyrimidine ring-containing derivative SB5 showed the most potent antifungal activity against all the tested strains. After combining these compounds with FLC and AmB, 76% combinations were either synergistic or additive while as the rest of the combinations were indifferent. Interestingly, none of the combinations was antagonistic, either with FLC or AmB. Results interpreted from fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) and isobolograms revealed 4-10-fold reduction in MIC values for synergistic combinations. These compounds also inhibit ergosterol biosynthesis in a concentration-dependent manner, supported by the results from docking studies. Conclusion: The results of the studies conducted advocate the potential of these compounds as new antifungal drugs. However, further studies are required to understand the other mechanisms and in vivo efficacy and toxicity of these compounds.


1989 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1081-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byron F. Johnson ◽  
L. C. Sowden ◽  
Teena Walker ◽  
Bong Y. Yoo ◽  
Gode B. Calleja

The surfaces of flocculent and nonflocculent yeast cells have been examined by electron microscopy. Nonextractive preparative procedures for scanning electron microscopy allow comparison in which sharp or softened images of surface details (scars, etc.) are the criteria for relative abundance of flocculum material. Asexually flocculent budding-yeast cells cannot be distinguished from nonflocculent budding-yeast cells in scanning electron micrographs because the scar details of both are well resolved, being hard and sharp. On the other hand, flocculent fission-yeast cells are readily distinguished from nonflocculent cells because fission scars are mostly soft or obscured on flocculent cells, but sharp on nonflocculent cells. Sexually and asexually flocculent fission-yeast cells cannot be distinguished from one another as both are heavily clad in "mucilaginous" or "hairy" coverings. Examination of lightly extracted and heavily extracted flocculent fission-yeast cells by transmission electron microscopy provides micrographs consistent with the scanning electron micrographs.Key words: flocculation, budding yeast, fission yeast, scanning, transmission.


1982 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1119-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bastide ◽  
S. Jouvert ◽  
J.-M. Bastide

The early events in the interaction of two polyene (amphotericin B and nystatin) and five imidazole (clotrimazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, isoconazole, and econazole) antimycotics used at fungicidal concentrations with the surface of Candida albicans were studied by scanning electron microscopic examination of treated intact young yeast cells, treated spheroplasts, and spheroplasts liberated from treated young yeast cells. In all cases, treatment lasted 2 h. The polyenes passed through the yeast cell wall and interacted with the cytoplasmic membrane causing the spheroplasts to lose their characteristic spheric form and to liberate their contents. Clotrimazole caused the formation of numerous circular openings in the cytoplasmic membrane, but only when the agent was used to treat spheroplasts directly. Ketoconazole, miconazole, isoconazole, and econazole interacted with the cell wall causing formation of convolutions and wrinkles. The three imidazole derivatives that are structurally closely related, miconazole, isoconazole, and econazole, inhibited the enzyme-catalyzed release of spheroplasts from young yeast cells.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Letizia Manca ◽  
Iris Usach ◽  
José Esteban Peris ◽  
Antonella Ibba ◽  
Germano Orrù ◽  
...  

New three-dimensionally-structured hybrid phospholipid vesicles, able to load clotrimazole in a high amount (10 mg/mL), were obtained for the first time in this work by significantly reducing the amount of water (≤10%), which was replaced with a mixture of glycerol and ethanol (≈90%). A pre-formulation study was carried out to evaluate the effect of both the composition of the hydrating medium and the concentration of the phospholipid on the physico-chemical properties of hybrid vesicles. Four different three-dimensionally-structured hybrid vesicles were selected as ideal systems for the topical application of clotrimazole. An extensive physico-chemical characterization performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), 31P-NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) displayed the formation of small, multi-, and unilamellar vesicles very close to each other, and was capable of forming a three-dimensional network, which stabilized the dispersion. Additionally, the dilution of the dispersion with water reduced the interactions between vesicles, leading to the formation of single unilamellar vesicles. The evaluation of the in vitro percutaneous delivery of clotrimazole showed an improved drug deposition in the skin strata provided by the three-dimensionally-structured vesicles with respect to the commercial cream (Canesten®) used as a reference. Hybrid vesicles were highly biocompatible and showed a significant antifungal activity in vitro, greater than the commercial cream Canesten®. The antimycotic efficacy of formulations was confirmed by the reduced proliferation of the yeast cells at the site of infection in vivo. In light of these results, clotrimazole-loaded, three-dimensionally-structured hybrid vesicles appear to be one of the most innovative and promising formulations for the treatment of candidiasis infections.


2009 ◽  
Vol 03 (04) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wala M. Amin ◽  
Muna H. Al-Ali ◽  
Nesreen A. Salim ◽  
Sandra K. Al-Tarawneh

ABSTRACTObjectives: To monitor the release of the antifungal drugs Fluconazole, Chlorhexidine and a combination of the two from an auto-polymerized poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) denture base resin; and to investigate the effect of the released drugs upon the growth of Candida albicans.Methods: A high performance liquid chromatography-Ultra violet (HPLC-UV) method was used in the analysis of the released drugs into distilled water from PMMA discs doped with the antifungal drugs Fluconazole (10%), Chlorhexidine (10%) and a combination of the two drugs (5% each). The antifungal efficacy of the released drugs was monitored, microbiologically, employing “well” technique on a Saborauds culture medium inoculated with a resistant strain of Candida albicans.Results: It was shown that Fluconazole, Chlorhexidine and the combination of the two drugs can be successfully incorporated with PMMA. It was found that the drugs leach steadily out of the PMMA resin into distilled water at mouth temperature and that sustained drug release continued throughout the 28 days test period. It was also shown that the released drugs demonstrated an antifungal activity against the resistant Candida albicans and this was most remarkable in the combined drugs samples.Conclusions: The findings of this investigation have a clinical value in terms of their significant contribution to the treatment of fungal infections of the oral cavity. The sustained release of antifungal drugs from the PMMA resin clearly constitutes a new dosage form of these drugs via the poly (methyl methacrylate) delivery system. (Eur J Dent 2009;3:257-266)


1999 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kien C. Ha ◽  
Theodore C. White

ABSTRACT Oral infections caused by the yeast Candida albicansare some of the most frequent and earliest opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. The widespread use of azole antifungal drugs has led to the development of drug resistance, creating a major problem in the treatment of yeast infections in AIDS patients and other immunocompromised individuals. Several molecular mechanisms that contribute to drug resistance have been identified. InC. albicans, the ability to morphologically switch from yeast cells (blastospores) to filamentous forms (hyphae) is an important virulence factor which contributes to the dissemination ofCandida in host tissues and which promotes infection and invasion. A positive correlation between the level of antifungal drug resistance and the ability to form hyphae in the presence of azole drugs has been identified. Under hypha-inducing conditions in the presence of an azole drug, resistant clinical isolates form hyphae, while susceptible yeast isolates do not. This correlation is observed in a random sample from a population of susceptible and resistant isolates and is independent of the mechanisms of resistance.35S-methionine incorporation suggests that growth inhibition is not sufficient to explain the inhibition of hyphal formation, but it may contribute to this inhibition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 171814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Shu ◽  
Tengfei Li ◽  
Wen Yang ◽  
Duo Li ◽  
Shunli Ji ◽  
...  

The present work is focused on the design and development of novel amphotericin B (AmB)-conjugated biocompatible and biodegradable polypeptide hydrogels to improve the antifungal activity. Using three kinds of promoting self-assembly groups (2-naphthalene acetic acid (Nap), naproxen (Npx) and dexamethasone (Dex)) and polypeptide sequence (Phe-Phe-Asp-Lys-Tyr, FFDKY), we successfully synthesized the Nap-FFDK(AmB)Y gels, Npx-FFDK(AmB)Y gels and Dex-FFDK(AmB)Y gels. The AmB-conjugated hydrogelators are highly soluble in different aqueous solutions. The cryo-transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy micrographs of hydrogels afford nanofibres with a width of 20–50 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that the crystalline structures of the AmB and Dex are changed into amorphous structures after the formation of hydrogels. Circular dichroism spectra of the solution of blank carriers and the corresponding drug deliveries further help elucidate the molecular arrangement in gel phase, indicating the existence of turn features. The in vitro drug releases suggest that the AmB-conjugated hydrogels are suitable as drug-controlled release vehicles for hydrophobic drugs. The antifungal effect of AmB-conjugated hydrogels significantly exhibits the antifungal activity against Candida albicans . The results of the present study indicated that the AmB-conjugated hydrogels are suitable carriers for poorly water soluble drugs and for enhancement of therapeutic efficacy of antifungal drugs.


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 3964-3966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Tullio ◽  
Narcisa Mandras ◽  
Daniela Scalas ◽  
Valeria Allizond ◽  
Giuliana Banche ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The influence of caspofungin on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans was investigated. Caspofungin, at all of the concentrations tested (2, 3.2, and 8 μg/ml), significantly increased intracellular killing by PMNs through its direct action on both yeast cells and PMNs, indicating the potential ability of caspofungin to synergize with phagocytes for candidal killing. Caspofungin may therefore constitute an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, including those refractory to conventional treatment with azole agents.


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