scholarly journals Antifungal Effects of Saponin Extract from Rhizomes of Dioscorea panthaica Prain et Burk against Candida albicans

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longfei Yang ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
Xinming Zhuang ◽  
Xuechao Feng ◽  
Lili Zhong ◽  
...  

Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen causing serious diseases, while there are only a paucity of antifungal drugs. Therefore, the present study was performed to investigate the antifungal effects of saponin extract from rhizomes of Dioscorea panthaica Prain et Burk (Huangshanyao Saponin extract, HSE) against C. albicans. HSE inhibits the planktonic growth and biofilm formation and development of C. albicans. 16–64 μg/mL of HSE could inhibit adhesion to polystyrene surfaces, transition from yeast to filamentous growth, and production of secreted phospholipase and could also induce endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and disrupt cell membrane in planktonic cells. Inhibitory activities against extracellular exopolysaccharide (EPS) production and ROS production in preformed biofilms could be inhibited by 64–256 μg/mL of HSE. Cytotoxicity against human Chang’s liver cells is low, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of about 256 μg/mL. In sum, our study suggested that HSE might be used as a potential antifungal therapeutic against C. albicans.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Liu ◽  
Lili Zhong ◽  
Zhiming Ma ◽  
Yujie Sui ◽  
Jia’nan Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractThe human fungal pathogen Candida albicans can cause many kinds of infections, including biofilm infections on medical devices, while the available antifungal drugs are limited to only a few. In this study, alantolactone (Ala) demonstrated antifungal activities against C. albicans, as well as other Candida species, with a MIC of 72 μg/mL. Ala could also inhibit the adhesion, yeast-to-hyphal transition, biofilm formation and development of C. albicans. The exopolysaccharide of biofilm matrix and extracellular phospholipase production could also be reduced by Ala treatment. Ala could increase permeability of C. albicans cell membrane and ROS contribute to the antifungal activity of Ala. Overall, the present study suggests that Ala may provide a promising candidate for developing antifungal drugs against C. albicans infections.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Chong ◽  
Voon Chin ◽  
Won Wong ◽  
Priya Madhavan ◽  
Voon Yong ◽  
...  

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, which causes a plethora of superficial, as well as invasive, infections in humans. The ability of this fungus in switching from commensalism to active infection is attributed to its many virulence traits. Biofilm formation is a key process, which allows the fungus to adhere to and proliferate on medically implanted devices as well as host tissue and cause serious life-threatening infections. Biofilms are complex communities of filamentous and yeast cells surrounded by an extracellular matrix that confers an enhanced degree of resistance to antifungal drugs. Moreover, the extensive plasticity of the C. albicans genome has given this versatile fungus the added advantage of microevolution and adaptation to thrive within the unique environmental niches within the host. To combat these challenges in dealing with C. albicans infections, it is imperative that we target specifically the molecular pathways involved in biofilm formation as well as drug resistance. With the advent of the -omics era and whole genome sequencing platforms, novel pathways and genes involved in the pathogenesis of the fungus have been unraveled. Researchers have used a myriad of strategies including transcriptome analysis for C. albicans cells grown in different environments, whole genome sequencing of different strains, functional genomics approaches to identify critical regulatory genes, as well as comparative genomics analysis between C. albicans and its closely related, much less virulent relative, C. dubliniensis, in the quest to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the success of C. albicans as a major fungal pathogen. This review attempts to summarize the most recent advancements in the field of biofilm and antifungal resistance research and offers suggestions for future directions in therapeutics development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Longfei Yang ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
Yujie Sui ◽  
Zhiming Ma ◽  
Xuechao Feng ◽  
...  

The human opportunistic fungal pathogenCandida albicanscauses a severe health burden while the biofilms formed byC. albicanspresent a kind of infections that are hard to cure, highlighting the pressing need for new antifungal drugs againstC. albicans. This study was to explore the antifungal activities of lycorine hydrochloride (LH) againstC. albicans. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of LH againstC. albicansSC5314 was 64μM. Below its MIC, LH demonstrated antivirulence property by suppressing adhesion, filamentation, biofilm formation, and development, as well as the production of extracellular phospholipase and exopolymeric substances (EPS). The cytotoxicity of LH against mammalian cells was low, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) above 256μM. Moreover, LH showed a synergistic effect with AmB, although its interaction with fluconazole, as well as caspofungin, was indifferent. Thus, our study reports the potential use of LH, alone or in combination with current antifungal drugs, to fightC. albicansinfections.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brilhante ◽  
Anderson da Cunha Costa ◽  
Vandbergue Santos Pereira ◽  
Mirele Rodrigues Fernandes ◽  
Jonathas Sales de Oliveira ◽  
...  

Abstract The present study evaluated the antifungal activity of the chelators deferiprone (DFP) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and their effect on biofilm formation of the S. schenckii complex. Eighteen strains of Sporothrix spp. (seven S. brasiliensis, three S. globosa, three S. mexicana and five Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto) were used. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for EDTA and DFP against filamentous forms of Sporothrix spp. ranged from 32 to 128 μg/ml. For antifungal drugs, MIC values ranged from 0.25 to 4 μg/ml for amphotericin B, from 0.25 to 4 μg/ml for itraconazole, and from 0.03 to 0.25 μg/ml for terbinafine. The chelators caused inhibition of Sporothrix spp. in yeast form at concentrations ranging from 16 to 64 μg/ml (for EDTA) and 8 to 32 μg/ml (for DFP). For antifungal drugs, MIC values observed against the yeast varied from 0.03 to 0.5 μg/ml for AMB, 0.03 to 1 μg/ml for ITC, and 0.03 to 0.13 μg/ml for TRB. Both DFP and EDTA presented synergistic interaction with antifungals against Sporothrix spp. in both filamentous and yeast form. Biofilms formed in the presence of the chelators (512 μg/ml) showed a reduction of 47% in biomass and 45% in metabolic activity. Our data reveal that DFP and EDTA reduced the growth of planktonic cells of Sporothrix spp., had synergistic interaction with antifungal drugs against this pathogen, and reduced biofilm formation of Sporothrix spp. Lay Summary Our data reveal that iron chelators deferiprone and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid reduced the growth of planktonic cells of Sporothrix spp. as well as had synergistic interaction with antifungal drugs against this pathogen and reduced biofilm formation of Sporothrix spp.


Author(s):  
AYU DIAH LESTARI ◽  
RIA PUSPITAWATI ◽  
ARIADNA ADISATTYA DJAIS

Objective: The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans forms biofilm to increase its resistance toward antifungal agents. Javanese turmeric is an Indonesianmedicinal plant reported to have antifungal effects due to the active component, xanthorrhizol. The objective of this study was to measure the in vitropotential of Javanese turmeric ethanol extract to eradicate C. albicans biofilm.Methods: C. albicans was exposed to Javanese turmeric ethanol extract for 1 h during biofilm formation phases. MTT assay was used to test thepercentage of biofilm eradication.Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of Javanese turmeric ethanol extract against planktonicC. albicans were 15%. The minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC50) was 25% in the early phase and 15% in the intermediate andmaturation phases.Conclusions: Javanese turmeric ethanol extract is effective at eradicating clinical isolate of C. albicans biofilm.


mSphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter R. Flanagan ◽  
Ning-Ning Liu ◽  
Darren J. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Karsten Hokamp ◽  
Julia R. Köhler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Candida albicans is the major fungal pathogen of humans and is responsible for a wide range of infections, including life-threatening systemic infections in susceptible hosts. Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an essential regulator of metabolism in this fungus, and components of this complex are under increased investigation as targets for new antifungal drugs. The present study characterized the role of GTR1, encoding a putative GTPase, in TORC1 activation. This study shows that GTR1 encodes a protein required for activation of TORC1 activity in response to amino acids and regulation of nitrogen starvation responses. GTR1 mutants show increased cell-cell adhesion and biofilm formation and increased expression of genes involved in these processes. This study demonstrates that starvation responses and biofilm formation are coregulated by GTR1 and suggests that these responses are linked to compete with the microbiome for space and nutrients. Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an essential regulator of metabolism in eukaryotic cells and in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans regulates morphogenesis and nitrogen acquisition. Gtr1 encodes a highly conserved GTPase that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae regulates nitrogen sensing and TORC1 activation. Here, we characterize the role of C. albicans GTR1 in TORC1 activation and compare it with the previously characterized GTPase Rhb1. A homozygous gtr1/gtr1 mutant exhibited impaired TORC1-mediated phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 and increased susceptibility to rapamycin. Overexpression of GTR1 impaired nitrogen starvation-induced filamentous growth, MEP2 expression, and growth in bovine serum albumin as the sole nitrogen source. Both GTR1 and RHB1 were shown to regulate genes involved in ribosome biogenesis, amino acid biosynthesis, and expression of biofilm growth-induced genes. The rhb1/rhb1 mutant exhibited a different pattern of expression of Sko1-regulated genes and increased susceptibility to Congo red and calcofluor white. The homozygous gtr1/gtr1 mutant exhibited enhanced flocculation phenotypes and, similar to the rhb1/rhb1 mutant, exhibited enhanced biofilm formation on plastic surfaces. In summary, Gtr1 and Rhb1 link nutrient sensing and biofilm formation and this connectivity may have evolved to enhance the competitiveness of C. albicans in niches where there is intense competition with other microbes for space and nutrients. IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is the major fungal pathogen of humans and is responsible for a wide range of infections, including life-threatening systemic infections in susceptible hosts. Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) is an essential regulator of metabolism in this fungus, and components of this complex are under increased investigation as targets for new antifungal drugs. The present study characterized the role of GTR1, encoding a putative GTPase, in TORC1 activation. This study shows that GTR1 encodes a protein required for activation of TORC1 activity in response to amino acids and regulation of nitrogen starvation responses. GTR1 mutants show increased cell-cell adhesion and biofilm formation and increased expression of genes involved in these processes. This study demonstrates that starvation responses and biofilm formation are coregulated by GTR1 and suggests that these responses are linked to compete with the microbiome for space and nutrients.


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa H. Miceli ◽  
Stella M. Bernardo ◽  
T. S. Neil Ku ◽  
Carla Walraven ◽  
Samuel A. Lee

ABSTRACTInfections and thromboses are the most common complications associated with central venous catheters. Suggested strategies for prevention and management of these complications include the use of heparin-coated catheters, heparin locks, and antimicrobial lock therapy. However, the effects of heparin onCandida albicansbiofilms and planktonic cells have not been previously studied. Therefore, we sought to determine thein vitroeffect of a heparin sodium preparation (HP) on biofilms and planktonic cells ofC. albicans. Because HP contains two preservatives, methyl paraben (MP) and propyl paraben (PP), these compounds and heparin sodium without preservatives (Pure-H) were also tested individually. The metabolic activity of the mature biofilm after treatment was assessed using XTT [2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] reduction and microscopy. Pure-H, MP, and PP caused up to 75, 85, and 60% reductions of metabolic activity of the mature preformedC. albicansbiofilms, respectively. Maximal efficacy against the mature biofilm was observed with HP (up to 90%) compared to the individual compounds (P< 0.0001). Pure-H, MP, and PP each inhibitedC. albicansbiofilm formation up to 90%. A complete inhibition of biofilm formation was observed with HP at 5,000 U/ml and higher. When tested against planktonic cells, each compound inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicated that HP, MP, PP, and Pure-H havein vitroantifungal activity againstC. albicansmature biofilms, formation of biofilms, and planktonic cells. Investigation of high-dose heparin-based strategies (e.g., heparin locks) in combination with traditional antifungal agents for the treatment and/or prevention ofC. albicansbiofilms is warranted.


Author(s):  
Gunderao Hanumantrao Kathwate ◽  
Ravikumar Bapurao Shinde ◽  
S. Mohan Karuppayil

Photochem ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-522
Author(s):  
Paula V. Cordero ◽  
Darío D. Ferreyra ◽  
María E. Pérez ◽  
María G. Alvarez ◽  
Edgardo N. Durantini

Photocytotoxic activity sensitized by 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(3-N,N-dimethylaminopropoxy)phenyl]chlorin (TAPC) was investigated in Candida albicans under different culture conditions. Planktonic cells incubated with 2.5 μM TAPC were eradicated after 5 min irradiation with white light. Studies in the presence of reactive oxygen species scavengers indicated the involvement of mainly a type II mechanism. Furthermore, cell growth of C. albicans was suppressed in the presence of 5 μM TAPC. A decrease in pseudohyphae survival of 5 log was found after 30 min irradiation. However, the photokilling of this virulence factor reached a 1.5 log reduction in human serum. The uptake of TAPC by pseudohyphae decreased in serum due to the interaction of TAPC with albumin. The binding constant of the TAPC-albumin complex was ~104 M−1, while the bimolecular quenching rate constant was ~1012 s−1 M−1, indicating that this process occurred through a static process. Thus, the photoinactivation of C. albicans was considerably decreased in the presence of albumin. A reduction of 2 log in cell survival was observed using 4.5% albumin and 30 min irradiation. The results allow optimizing the best conditions to inactivate C. albicans under different culture conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 830-837
Author(s):  
Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brilhante ◽  
José Alexandre Telmos Silva ◽  
Géssica dos Santos Araújo ◽  
Vandbergue Santos Pereira ◽  
Wilker Jose Perez Gotay ◽  
...  

Introduction. Cryptococcus species are pathogens commonly associated with cases of meningoencephalitis in individuals who are immunosuppressed due to AIDS. Aim. The aim was to evaluate the effects of the antiretroviral darunavir alone or associated with fluconazole, 5-flucytosine and amphotericin B against planktonic cells and biofilms of Cryptococcus species. Methodology. Susceptibility testing of darunavir and the common antifungals against 12 members of the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex was evaluated by broth microdilution. The interaction between darunavir and antifungals against planktonic cells was tested by a checkerboard assay. The effects of darunavir against biofilm metabolic activity and biomass were evaluated by the XTT reduction assay and crystal violet staining, respectively. Results. Darunavir combined with amphotericin B showed a synergistic interaction against planktonic cells. No antagonistic interaction was observed between darunavir and the antifungals used. All Cryptococcus species strains were strong biofilm producers. Darunavir alone reduced biofilm metabolic activity and biomass when added during and after biofilm formation (P<0.05). The combination of darunavir with antifungals caused a significant reduction in biofilm metabolic activity and biomass when compared to darunavir alone (P<0.05). Conclusion. Darunavir presents antifungal activity against planktonic cells of Cryptococcus species and synergism with amphotericin B. In addition, darunavir led to reduced biofilm formation and showed activity against mature biofilms of Cryptococcus species. Activity of the antifungals against mature biofilms was enhanced in the presence of darunavir.


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