Back to Nature: Combating Candida albicans Biofilm, Phospholipase and Hemolysin Using Plant Essential Oils.

Amira M. El-Ganiny,Ahmed M. El-Baz,Reham M. Goda,Tanya E. S. Dahms,Rasha A. Mosbah,Taranum Sultana,Basem Mansour

doi:10.3390/antibiotics10010081

Amira M. El-Ganiny, Ahmed M. El-Baz + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10010081

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Abstract

Candida albicans is the causative agent of fatal systemic candidiasis. Due to limitations of antifungals, new drugs are needed. The anti-virulence effect of plant essential oils (EOs) was evaluated against clinical C. albicans isolates including cinnamon, clove, jasmine and rosemary oils. Biofilm, phospholipase and hemolysin were assessed phenotypically. EOs were evaluated for their anti-virulence activity using phenotypic methods as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Among the C. albicans isolates, biofilm, phospholipase and hemolysins were detected in 40.4, 86.5 and 78.8% of isolates, respectively. Jasmine oil showed the highest anti-biofilm activity followed by cinnamon, clove and rosemary oils. SEM and AFM analysis showed reduced adherence and roughness in the presence of EOs. For phospholipase, rosemary oil was the most inhibitory, followed by jasmine, cinnamon and clove oils, and for hemolysins, cinnamon had the highest inhibition followed by jasmine, rosemary and clove oils. A molecular docking study revealed major EO constituents as promising inhibitors of the Als3 adhesive protein, with the highest binding for eugenol, followed by 1,8-cineole, 2-phenylthiolane and cinnamaldehyde. In conclusion, EOs have a promising inhibitory impact on Candida biofilm, phospholipase and hemolysin production, hence EOs could be used as potential antifungals that impact virulence factors.

Highlights

The incidence of fungal infections, including candidiasis, has increased worldwide over the past few decades [1]
The treatment of fungal infections is complicated by the emergence of resistance [7], which necessitates the development of novel therapeutic strategies or finding new antifungals
Most previous studies have concentrated on the antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) [18,21,27,28,29], but in the current study, we examined the anti-virulence effect of four EOs on clinical C. albicans isolates

Summary

Introduction

The incidence of fungal infections, including candidiasis, has increased worldwide over the past few decades [1]. Candida represents the fourth leading cause of nosocomial infections and the third most common cause of catheter-related bloodstream infections, with a mortality rate exceeding 50% [5,6]. Treatments of fungal infections have improved in the past decades with the introduction of new antifungals, but with modest success in reducing the high mortality rates associated with invasive infections [5]. The treatment of fungal infections is complicated by the emergence of resistance [7], which necessitates the development of novel therapeutic strategies or finding new antifungals. Screening new drugs for their impact on virulence is an important tool for exploring novel antifungal targets leading to improved therapeutic regimens [10]

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