Abstract
In the present study we investigated activity of oleuropein, a complex phenol present in large quantities in olive tree products, against opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Oleuropein was found to have in vitro antifungal activity with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 12.5 mg·mL−1. Morphological changes in the nuclei after staining with fluorescent DNA-binding dyes revealed that apoptosis was a primary mode of cell death in the analyzed samples treated with subinhibitory concentrations of oleuropein. Our results suggest that this antifungal agent targets virulence factors essential for establishment of the fungal infection. We noticed that oleuropein modulates morphogenetic conversion and inhibits filamentation of C. albicans. The hydrophobicity assay showed that oleuropein in sub-MIC values has significantly decreased, in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, the cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of C. albicans, a factor associated with adhesion to epithelial cells. It was also demonstrated that the tested compound inhibits the activity of SAPs, cellular enzymes secreted by C. albicans, which are reported to be related to the pathogenicity of the fungi. Additionally, we detected that oleuropein causes a reduction in total sterol content in the membrane of C. albicans cells, which might be involved in the mechanism of its antifungal activity.
Highlights
Candida species are commensal organisms that normally colonize mucosal surfaces of healthy individuals and, under conditions of host weakness, can become opportunistic pathogens.Among Candida species, Candida albicans is the predominant cause of invasive fungal infections; in recent years, a growing incidence of infections caused by non-albicans species has been observed [1]
Our findings showed that minimal inhibitory concentration
Statistically significant change in cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH) levels (p < 0.05), in comparison to the control for C. albicans, The hidrophobicity assay in our study showed that oleuropein below the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value induced a after h of incubation aerobically at °C by decreasing hydrophobicity from 34.05% ± 1.85% to statistically in CSH
Summary
Candida species are commensal organisms that normally colonize mucosal surfaces of healthy individuals and, under conditions of host weakness, can become opportunistic pathogens. Molecules 2016, 21, 1631 of oleuropein was investigated in vitro against Mycoplasma hominis, M. fermentas, M. pneumoniae, and M. pirum. Oleuropein inhibited mycoplasmas at concentrations from 20 to 320 mg·L−1 [9]. Considering that molecules that derive from natural sources have considerable antifungal properties and can be a2016, promising. 21, 1631 source for the development of new anti-candidal therapy [10], we performed in vitro tests to examine the effect of this phenolic compound on C. albicans, one of the most important that molecules thatpathogen, derive from natural sources have antifungalof properties opportunistic fungal and to investigate its considerable possible mechanism action. Can be a promising source for the development of new anti-candidal therapy [10], we performed in vitro tests to examine the effect of this phenolic compound on C. albicans, one of the most important opportunistic. Antifungal susceptibility testing was used to estimate the drop of viability up to 90% in
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