Abstract
Herbal-loaded drug delivery nanotechnological systems have been extensively studied recently. The antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants has shown better pharmacological action when such plants are loaded into a drug delivery system than when they are not loaded. Syngonanthus nitens Bong. (Rhul.) belongs to the Eriocaulaceae family and presents antiulcerogenic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of Syngonanthus nitens (S. nitens) extract that was not loaded (E) or loaded (SE) into a liquid crystal precursor system (S) for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) with Candida albicans. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the microdilution technique. Additionally, we performed hyphae inhibition and biofilm tests. Finally, experimental candidiasis was evaluated in in vivo models with Wistar female rats. The results showed effective antifungal activity after incorporation into S for all strains tested, with MICs ranging from 31.2 to 62.5 μg/mL. Microscopic observation of SE revealed an absence of filamentous cells 24 h of exposure to a concentration of 31.2 μg/mL. E demonstrated no effective action against biofilms, though SE showed inhibition against biofilms of all strains. In the in vivo experiment, SE was effective in the treatment of infection after only two days of treatment and was more effective than E and amphotericin B. The S. nitens is active against Candida albicans (C. albicans) and the antifungal potential is being enhanced after incorporation into liquid crystal precursor systems (LCPS). These findings represent a promising application of SE in the treatment of VVC.
Highlights
Microorganisms of the genus Candida are associated with shallow, deep and systemic infections, in patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes and in immunosuppressed patients, patients with neutropenia and transplant patients, due to the opportunistic profile presented by the members of this genus [1]
We propose in this study to investigate the antifungal potential of the methanolic extract of scapes of S. nitens loaded into a new liquid crystal precursor system, to highlight their biological applicability for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis caused by C. albicans azole-resistant derivatives
The present study showed that the incorporation of the extract in a nanotechnology-based drug delivery system showed superior results compared to the previous study, thereby indicating that S substantially increased the action of the bioactive agent
Summary
Microorganisms of the genus Candida are associated with shallow, deep and systemic infections, in patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes and in immunosuppressed patients, patients with neutropenia and transplant patients, due to the opportunistic profile presented by the members of this genus [1]. The pathogenicity of C. albicans species involves mechanisms of aggression attributed to virulence factors These mechanisms include the ability to defend itself against the host immune system, hyphae proliferation, biofilm formation in tissue or on medical devices, and production of harmful hydrolytic enzymes including proteases, phospholipases and hemolysin [2,3,4]. Drug therapy targeting fungal infections has limitations such as the high cost of drugs available in the clinic, high toxicity, drug interactions, insufficient bioavailability of the active ingredient and the emergence of resistant strains [5]. Several antifungals have been indicated for the treatment of these infections, including those belonging to the polyenic, azole, and echinocandin classes; due to the indiscriminate use of these antimicrobials targeting genetic and physiological characteristics of the fungus, there has been a significant increase in profile resistance to drug members of these classes [6,7]. Medicinal plants have emerged in the search for new antifungal drugs due to their demonstration of important bioactive properties and the presence of secondary metabolites such as tannins, flavonoids and phenols [8]
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