scholarly journals Azoles Used in Agriculture as Possible Cause of Azole-Resistance in Clinical Candida Isolates

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 789-799
Author(s):  
Hardeep Kaur ◽  
Anamika Yadav ◽  
Khushbu Wadhwa ◽  
Kusum Jain ◽  
Soma M Ghorai

Agricultural azoles are preferred antifungals used by farmers due to their high efficiency against broad range of plant diseases like leaf rust, leaf spots, and powdery mildews. The past few decades have witnessed an unprecedented rise in their usage for crop protection. These compounds can thrive in environment for several months and being fungistatic in nature, can cause imbalance in the ecology of fungal species in the environment. Further their heavy use can lead to contamination and residues in plants, water, soil, and development of human health risk. These azoles share the similar mode of action and structural properties with medical azoles that are used for the treatment of fungal infections. Recent years have also seen an exceptional surge in the number of multi-drug resistant nosocomial Candida infections, especially in immuno compromised patients. The present review is an attempt to show the plausible mechanism of cross resistance among Candida isolates to agricultural and medical azoles. The study highlights the requirement of thorough scrutiny of usage of azoles both in medicine and agriculture.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Johannes Delgado-Ospina ◽  
Junior Bernardo Molina-Hernández ◽  
Clemencia Chaves-López ◽  
Gianfranco Romanazzi ◽  
Antonello Paparella

Background: The role of fungi in cocoa crops is mainly associated with plant diseases and contamination of harvest with unwanted metabolites such as mycotoxins that can reach the final consumer. However, in recent years there has been interest in discovering other existing interactions in the environment that may be beneficial, such as antagonism, commensalism, and the production of specific enzymes, among others. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the different fungi species involved in cocoa production and the cocoa supply chain. In particular, it examines the presence of fungal species during cultivation, harvest, fermentation, drying, and storage, emphasizing the factors that possibly influence their prevalence in the different stages of production and the health risks associated with the production of mycotoxins in the light of recent literature. Key findings and conclusion: Fungi associated with the cocoa production chain have many different roles. They have evolved in a varied range of ecosystems in close association with plants and various habitats, affecting nearly all the cocoa chain steps. Reports of the isolation of 60 genera of fungi were found, of which only 19 were involved in several stages. Although endophytic fungi can help control some diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, climate change, with increased rain and temperatures, together with intensified exchanges, can favour most of these fungal infections, and the presence of highly aggressive new fungal genotypes increasing the concern of mycotoxin production. For this reason, mitigation strategies need to be determined to prevent the spread of disease-causing fungi and preserve beneficial ones.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1434
Author(s):  
Hiran A. Ariyawansa ◽  
Ichen Tsai ◽  
Jian-Yuan Wang ◽  
Patchareeya Withee ◽  
Medsaii Tanjira ◽  
...  

Camellia sinensis is one of the major crops grown in Taiwan and has been widely cultivated around the island. Tea leaves are prone to various fungal infections, and leaf spot is considered one of the major diseases in Taiwan tea fields. As part of a survey on fungal species causing leaf spots on tea leaves in Taiwan, 19 fungal strains morphologically similar to the genus Diaporthe were collected. ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α), tub2 (beta-tubulin), and cal (calmodulin) gene regions were used to construct phylogenetic trees and determine the evolutionary relationships among the collected strains. In total, six Diaporthe species, including one new species, Diaporthe hsinchuensis, were identified as linked with leaf spot of C. sinensis in Taiwan based on both phenotypic characters and phylogeny. These species were further characterized in terms of their pathogenicity, temperature, and pH requirements under laboratory conditions. Diaporthe tulliensis, D. passiflorae, and D. perseae were isolated from C. sinensis for the first time. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests revealed that, with wound inoculation, only D. hongkongensis was pathogenic on tea leaves. This investigation delivers the first assessment of Diaporthe taxa related to leaf spots on tea in Taiwan.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M’hamed BENADA ◽  
Boualem BOUMAAZA ◽  
Sofiane BOUDALIA ◽  
Omar KHALADI

Abstract Background The development of ecofriendly tools against plant diseases is an important issue in crop protection. Screening and selection process of bacterial strains antagonists of 2 pathogenic bacterial species that limit very important crops, Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the fire blight disease, and Pectobacterium carotovorum, the causal agent of bacterial potato soft rot, were reported. Bacterial colonies were isolated from different ecological niches, where both pathogens were found: rhizosphere of potato tubers and fruits and leaves of pear trees from the northwest region of Algeria. Direct and indirect confrontation tests against strains of E. amylovora and P. carotovorum were performed. Results Results showed a significant antagonistic activity against both phytopathogenic species, using direct confrontation method and supernatants of cultures (p<0.005). In vitro assays showed growth inhibitions of both phytopathogenic species. Furthermore, results revealed that the strains of S. plymuthica had a better inhibitory effect than the strains of P. fluorescens against both pathogens. In vivo results on immature pear fruits showed a significant decrease in the progression of the fire blight symptoms, with a variation in the infection index from one antagonistic strain to another between 31.3 and 50%, and slice of potato showed total inhibition of the pathogen (P. carotovorum) by the antagonistic strains of Serratia plymuthica (p<0.005). Conclusion This study highlighted that the effective bacteria did not show any infection signs towards plant tissue, and considered as a potential strategy to limit the fire blight and soft rot diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro ◽  
Bruno Nascimento da Silva ◽  
Ana Luiza Ribeiro de Aguiar ◽  
Livia Maria Galdino Pereira ◽  
Fernando Victor Monteiro Portela ◽  
...  

Abstract Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are important worldwide health problem, affecting the growing population of immunocompromised patients. Although the majority of IFIs are caused by Candida spp., other fungal species have been increasingly recognized as relevant opportunistic pathogens. Trichosporon spp. are members of skin and gut human microbiota. Since 1980’s, invasive trichosporonosis has been considered a significant cause of fungemia in patients with hematological malignancies. As prolonged antibiotic therapy is an important risk factor for IFIs, the present study investigated if vancomycin enhances growth and virulence of Trichosporon. Vancomycin was tested against T. inkin (n = 6) and T. asahii (n = 6) clinical strains. Planktonic cells were evaluated for their metabolic activity and virulence against Caenorhabditis elegans. Biofilms were evaluated for metabolic activity, biomass production, amphotericin B tolerance, induction of persister cells, and ultrastructure. Vancomycin stimulated planktonic growth of Trichosporon spp., increased tolerance to AMB, and potentiates virulence against C. elegans. Vancomycin stimulated growth (metabolic activity and biomass) of Trichosporon spp. biofilms during all stages of development. The antibiotic increased the number of persister cells inside Trichosporon biofilms. These cells showed higher tolerance to AMB than persister cells from VAN-free biofilms. Microscopic analysis showed that VAN increased production of extracellular matrix and cells in T. inkin and T. asahii biofilms. These results suggest that antibiotic exposure may have a direct impact on the pathophysiology of opportunistic trichosporonosis in patients at risk. Lay abstract This study showed that the vancomycin stimulated Trichosporon growth, induced morphological and physiological changes on their biofilms, and also enhanced their in vivo virulence. Although speculative, the stimulatory effect of vancomycin on fungal cells should be considered in a clinical scenario.


2021 ◽  
pp. 24-27
Author(s):  
Л.М. Соколова ◽  
А.В. Янченко ◽  
А.Ю. Федосов ◽  
М.И. Азопков ◽  
В.С. Голубович

Морковь и свекла столовая – одни из самых распространенных в овощеводстве корнеплодных культур. Важный признак семян высокого качества – отсутствие болезней, передаваемых через семена. Эффективный контроль болезней растений имеет решающее значение для надежного производства овощей и потенциально может привести к значительной экономии использования воды, земли, топлива и других ресурсов в сельском хозяйстве. Присутствие в семенах патогенов, передающихся через семена, либо препятствует прорастанию, либо может привести к эпифитотиям из-за передачи возбудителя болезни от семени к растению. За последние годы отмечено увеличение числа заболеваний, вызванных фитопатогенными грибами, бактериями и вирусами. В зависимости от погодных условий и фитосанитарного состояния посевов, распространенность болезней может достигать 70-80% от всей популяции растений, а урожайность снижаться в ряде случаев на 80-98%. Цель исследований – выявить инфицированность и родовую принадлежность патокомплекса грибных болезней на семенах моркови и свеклы столовой, а также подобрать оптимальный режим обработки семян. Термическая обработка семян представляет собой жизнеспособную альтернативу химической обработке для уничтожения патогенов. Задача термической обработки – найти наилучшее сочетание продолжительности экспозиции и температуры, которое обеспечивает максимальную гибель патогенов при минимальном разрушающем воздействии на семена. Основное предположение, оправдывающее термическую обработку, заключается в том, что патоген-мишень более чувствителен к высокотемпературному стрессу, чем семена. Целевыми патогенными микроорганизмами являются в основном грибы, вирусы и бактерии, находящиеся на поверхности и внутри семян. В настоящей статье отображено влияние термической обработки семян столовой свеклы и моркови на всхожесть и их зараженность патогенами. Показана высокая эффективность термической обработки семян столовой свеклы и моркови против Alternaria. Дана визуальная оценка эффективности термической обработки на питательной среде Чапека. One of the most common root vegetables in vegetable growing are carrots and beets. One of the important signs of qualitative changes is the absence of diseases transmitted through seeds. Effective control of plant diseases is crucial for the reliable production of vegetables and can potentially lead to a significant reduction in the use of water, land, fuel and other resources in agriculture. The presence of pathogens transmitted through seeds in seeds either prevents germination, or can lead to epiphytotics of diseases due to the transmission of the pathogen from the seed to the plant. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses. Depending on the weather conditions and the phytosanitary condition of crops, the prevalence of diseases can reach 70-80% of the entire plant population, and the yield can decrease in some cases by 80-98%. The purpose of the research is to identify the infection and generic affiliation of the pathocomplex of fungal diseases on carrot and beet seeds, as well as to choose the optimal seed treatment regime. Heat treatment of seeds is a viable alternative to chemical treatment for the destruction of pathogens. The task of heat treatment is to find the best combination of time and temperature that maximizes the reduction in the survival of pathogens with minimal destructive effects on seeds. The main assumption justifying heat treatment is more sensitive to high-temperature stress than seeds. The target pathogenic microorganisms are mainly fungi, viruses and bacteria located on the surface and inside the seeds. This article shows the effect of heat treatment of table beet and carrot seeds on germination and their infection with pathogens. The high efficiency of heat treatment of table beet and carrot seeds against Alternariais shown. A visual assessment of the effectiveness of heat treatment on the Czapek nutrient medium was carried out.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 720
Author(s):  
Maryam Roudbary ◽  
Sunil Kumar ◽  
Awanish Kumar ◽  
Lucia Černáková ◽  
Fatemeh Nikoomanesh ◽  
...  

Patients with severe COVID-19, such as individuals in intensive care units (ICU), are exceptionally susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. The most prevalent fungal infections are aspergillosis and candidemia. Nonetheless, other fungal species (for instance, Histoplasma spp., Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Cryptococcus spp.) have recently been increasingly linked to opportunistic fungal diseases in COVID-19 patients. These fungal co-infections are described with rising incidence, severe illness, and death that is associated with host immune response. Awareness of the high risks of the occurrence of fungal co-infections is crucial to downgrade any arrear in diagnosis and treatment to support the prevention of severe illness and death directly related to these infections. This review analyses the fungal infections, treatments, outcome, and immune response, considering the possible role of the microbiome in these patients. The search was performed in Medline (PubMed), using the words “fungal infections COVID-19”, between 2020–2021.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ficke ◽  
Belachew Asalf ◽  
Hans Ragnar Norli

Plants and fungi emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are either constitutively produced or are produced in response to changes in their physico-chemical status. We hypothesized that these chemical signals could be utilized as diagnostic tools for plant diseases. VOCs from several common wheat pathogens in pure culture (Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium poae, and Parastagonospora nodorum) were collected and compared among isolates of the same fungus, between pathogens from different species, and between pathogens causing different disease groups [Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB)]. In addition, we inoculated two wheat varieties with either F. graminearum or P. nodorum, while one variety was also inoculated with Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (powdery mildew, PM). VOCs were collected 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation. Each fungal species in pure culture emitted a different VOC blend, and each isolate could be classified into its respective disease group based on VOCs with an accuracy of 71.4 and 84.2% for FHB and SNB, respectively. When all collection times were combined, the classification of the tested diseases was correct in 84 and 86% of all cases evaluated. Germacrene D and sativene, which were associated with FHB infection, and mellein and heptadecanone, which were associated with SNB infection, were consistently emitted by both wheat varieties. Wheat plants infected with PM emitted significant amounts of 1-octen-3-ol and 3,5,5-trimethyl-2-hexene. Our study suggests that VOC blends could be used to classify wheat diseases. This is the first step toward a real-time disease detection in the field based on chemical signatures of wheat diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-466
Author(s):  
Marco Zuccolo ◽  
Sabrina Dallavalle ◽  
Raffaella Cincinelli ◽  
Luce Mattio ◽  
Stefania Mazzini ◽  
...  

Background: Superficial fungal infections are the most common fungal diseases in humans, affecting more than 25% of the population worldwide. Methods: In the present study, we have investigated the activity of kakuol, a natural compound isolated from the rhizomes of Asarum sieboldii, and some analogues, against various dermatophytes and pharmacologically relevant yeasts. Results: One of the tested compounds, 2-acryloyl-4,5-methylenedioxyphenol, showed a broadspectrum activity against most of the fungal species assayed, resulting particularly effective against dermatophyte strains (MIC values in the range of 0.25-0.5 &#181;g/mL, two/four-fold lower than the positive control miconazole). Conclusion: The results suggest that this molecule can be considered a promising starting point for the development of new antifungal compounds.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 894-898
Author(s):  
D. F. SILVA ◽  
H. D. NETO ◽  
M. D. L. FERREIRA ◽  
A. A. O. FILHO ◽  
E. O. LIMA

β-citronellol (3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol) has been exhibiting a number of pharmacological effects that creates interest about its antimicrobial potential, since several substances of the monoterpene class have already demonstrated to possess activity in this profile. In addition, the emergence of fungal species resistant to current pharmacotherapy poses a serious challenge to health systems, making it necessary to search for new effective therapeutic alternatives to deal with this problem. In this study, the antimicrobial profile of β-citronellol was analyzed. The Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances (PASS) online software was used to study the antimicrobial activity of the β-citronellol molecule by the use of in silico analysis. In contrast, an in vitro antifungal study of this monoterpene was carried out. For this purpose, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by the microdilution technique in 96-well plates in Saboraud Dextrose Broth/RPMI against sensitive strains of Candida albicans, and this assay was performed in duplicate. In the in silico analysis of the antimicrobial profile, it was revealed that the monoterpene β-citronellol had a diverse antimicrobial bioactivity profile. For the antifungal activity, it presented a percentage value with Pa: 58.4% (predominant) and its MIC of 128 μg/mL, which was equivalent for all strains tested. The in silico study of the β-citronellol molecule allowed us to consider that the monoterpenoid is very likely to be bioactive against agents that cause fungal infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 156 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S133-S133
Author(s):  
A D Pyden ◽  
I Solomon ◽  
A Laga Canales

Abstract Introduction/Objective Opportunistic infections by fungi are a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients suffering from extensive burn wounds. Here we review a series of cases of infections by multiple fungi in burn wounds as diagnosed by histopathology and outline the key features for the pathologist to include in the report. Methods/Case Report Biopsies from patients with more than one fungal species identified in the laboratory in a concurrent culture or by PCR were included in this study. Three cases are presented with multiple fungi identified. Each case had yeast and at least one different hyaline mold species present on pathology; two cases additionally had mucormycetes present, with angioinvasion in one case. All organisms requiried microbiologic cultures and variably required molecular testing for full identification. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) N/A Conclusion Pathologists should be aware of the possibility of infection by multiple fungal species in burn wounds. Fungal morphology in tissue sections should allow for detection and distinction of mucormyctes and other hyaline molds. Histopathologic correlation with culture and/or PCR results is essential to distinguish potential contaminants from true infection.


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