Clinical Strains Of Candida Albicans Research Articles

Antifungal effect of Crescentia cujete fruit extracts on clinical strains of Candida albicans

Candidiasis is a common fungal infection globally, ranging from superficial to severe invasive forms that can be life-threatening. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effects of ethanol and n-hexane extracts from Crescentia cujete fruit against Candida albicans strains. Crescentia cujete fruit pulp was dried and extracted using Soxhlet with ethanol and n-hexane. Two reference strains of C. albicans (ATCC 10231 and 90028) and 12 clinical isolates from vaginal smears were tested under various conditions: without extract, with serial dilutions of ethanol or n-hexane extracts, and with ethanol and n-hexane at the same concentrations. Growth was measured using MicroELISA equipment. Results showed that n-hexane and ethanol extracts significantly reduced the growth of 9/12 and 4/12 clinical strains, respectively, and also affected the ATCC 90028 and ATCC 10231 strains. A direct correlation was observed between growth inhibition and extract concentration, with n-hexane exhibiting a stronger correlation (Spearman's Rho=0.609, p<0.05) compared to ethanol (Spearman's Rho=0.387, p<0.05). This study is the first to demonstrate the antifungal effects of Crescentia cujete fruit extracts on clinical Candida albicans strains, suggesting that a low-polarity compound in the fruit inhibits Candida albicans, including the ATCC 1031 strain resistant to common antifungals.

The Potential Antifungal and Antibacterial of 5- Chloro-1- Methyl- 4- Nitroimidazole

Imidazole is a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring that possesses biological and pharmaceutical importance. The imidazole ring is a constituent of several important natural products, including purine, histamine, histidine, and nucleic acid, while the nitroimidazole and its derivatives possess an extensive spectrum of biological activities such as antibacterial, anticancer, antitubercular, antifungal, analgesic, and anti-HIV activities. This paper aims to evaluate the in vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities of 5-chloro-1-methyl-4-nitroimidazole. The synthesis of this compound was carried out via a three-step reaction such as aminolysis, chlorination and nitration. From the FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectra of the obtained compound, the absorption bands, signals, and coupling constant conform to the proposed compound. Furthermore, when tested for its in-vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities, the derivative showed excellent antifungal activity against a clinical strain of Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger at a minimum bactericidal concentration of 2.5 mg/mL, while the bacterial isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella. pneumonie was at 4.0 mg/mL.

Significant variation of filamentation phenotypes in clinical Candida albicans strains

IntroductionCandida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that typically resides as part of the microbiome in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of a large portion of the human population. This fungus lacks a true sexual cycle and evolves in a largely clonal pattern. The ability to cause disease is consistent across the species as strains causing systemic infections appear across the known C. albicans intra-species clades.MethodsIn this work, strains collected from patients with systemic C. albicans infections isolated at the Nebraska Medicine clinical laboratory were typed by MLST analysis. Since the ability to form filaments has been linked to pathogenesis in C. albicans, these clinical strains, as well as a previously genotyped set of clinical strains, were tested for their ability to filament across a variety of inducing conditions.ResultsGenotyping of the clinical strains demonstrated that the strains isolated at one of the major medical centers in our region were as diverse as strains collected across the United States. We demonstrated that clinical strains exhibit a variety of filamentation patterns across differing inducing conditions. The only consistent pattern observed in the entire set of clinical strains tested was an almost universal inability to filament in standard solid inducing conditions used throughout the C. albicans field. A different solid filamentation assay that produces more robust filamentation profiles from clinical strains is proposed in this study, although not all strains expected to filament in vivo were filamentous in this assay.DiscussionOur data supports growing evidence that broad phenotypic diversity exists between the C. albicans type strain and clinical strains, suggesting that the type strain poorly represents filamentation patterns observed in most clinical isolates. These data further highlight the need to use diverse clinical strains in pathogenesis assays.

Antibacterial Properties and Chemical Parameters Determination of Medicinal Soap Produced with Acalypha wilkesiana Plant Extracts

In rural communities of the poor developing economies, dermatophytic infections have become pandermic with about 20-25% of the population affected. The present study was carried out to produce medicinal soaps with antibacterial and antifungal activities using leaf extracts of Acalypha wilkesiana. We compared the antimicrobial properties of different concentrations of the extract of the plant in soap production and the chemical parameters of the produced soap were determined. The soap containing 15% Acalypha wilkesiana showed more activities against clinical strains of Candida albicans and Staphyloccocus aureus at all concentrations with zones of inhibition between 6 – 18 mm compared to values obtained against Proteus mirabilis and pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, soap containing 10% of the medicinal plant was not active against all the test microorganisms at lower concentrations of 10 and 100 µg/mL but the activity increased with increased concentration of the active ingredient in the soap to 1000 and 10,000 µg/mL. However, the soap containing 5% medicinal plant was not active at any of the concentrations. The chemical parameters determined indicated that Total fatty matter (TFM) 47% is within the acceptable limit. The values obtained for Matter insoluble in water (18%), matter insoluble in alcohol (0.5%), Total free acidity (0.7%), Moisture content (7%), pH(10.5) and % Free alkali as Na2O (6.19%) were all within acceptable limit. The Foam stability was determined to be 3.98 mins. It is therefore obvious that the soap containing 15% Acalypha wilkesiana is more effective against the test microorganisms compared to 10% and could be utilized for the management of skin infections.

New silicate-substituted hydroxyapatite materials doped with silver ions as potential antifungal agents

BackgroundHydroxyapatites (HAp) are widely used as medical preparations for e.g., bone replacement or teeth implants. Incorporation of various substrates into HAp structures could enhance its biological properties, like biocompatibility or antimicrobial effects. Silver ions possess high antibacterial and antifungal activity and its application as HAp dopant might increase its clinical value.ResultsNew silicate-substituted hydroxyapatites (HAp) doped with silver ions were synthesized via hydrothermal methods. The crystal structure of HAp was investigated by using the X-ray powder diffraction. Antifungal activity of silver ion-doped HAp (with 0.7 mol%, 1 mol% and 2 mol% of dopants) was tested against the yeast-like reference and clinical strains of Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, Rhodotorula rubra, R. mucilaginosa, Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. Spectrophotometric method was used to evaluate antifungal effect of HAp in SD medium. It was shown that already the lowest dopant (0.7 mol% of Ag+ ions) significantly reduced fungal growth at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. Increase in the dopant content and the concentration of HAp did not cause further growth inhibition. Moreover, there were some differences at the tolerance level to Ag+ ion-doped HAp among tested strains, suggesting strain-specific activity.ConclusionsPreformed studies confirm antimicrobial potential of hydroxyapatite doped with silver. New Ag+ ion-HAp material could be, after further studies, considered as medical agent with antifungal properties which lower the risk of a surgical-related infections.

Ru(II) Oxygen Sensors for Co(III) Complexes and Amphotericin B Antifungal Activity Detection by Phosphorescence Optical Respirometry.

The measurement of oxygen consumption is an important element in the understanding of an organism's metabolic state. Oxygen is also a phosphorescence quencher, which allows the evaluation of phosphorescence emitted by oxygen sensors. Two Ru(II)-based oxygen-sensitive sensors were used to study the effect of chemical compounds [(1) = [CoCl2(dap)2]Cl, and (2) = [CoCl2(en)2]Cl (AmB = amphotericin B) against reference and clinical strains of Candida albicans. The tris-[(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II)] chloride ([Ru(DPP)3]Cl2) (Box) adsorbed onto the DavisilTM silica gel was embedded in the silicone rubber Lactite NuvaSil® 5091 and the coating on the bottom of 96-well plates. The water-soluble oxygen sensor (BsOx = tris-[(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulphonic acid disodium)ruthenium(II)] chloride 'x' hydrate = {Ru[DPP(SO3Na)2]3}Cl2 = water molecules were omitted in the BsOx formula) was synthesized and characterized by RP-UHPLC, LCMS, MALDI, elemental analysis, ATR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, and TG/IR techniques. The microbiological studies were performed in the environment of RPMI broth and blood serum. Both Ru(II)-based sensors turned out to be useful in the study of the activity of Co(III) complexes and the commercial antifungal drug amphotericin B. In addition, a new activity of the oxygen sensor, the soluble Ru(II) complex BsOx, was demonstrated, which is a mixture with amphotericin B that caused a significant increase in its antifungal activity. Thus, it is also possible to demonstrate the synergistic effect of compounds active against the microorganisms under study.

In-vitro evaluation of virulence markers and antifungal resistance of clinical Candida albicans strains isolated from Karachi, Pakistan

Candidiasis is a significant fungal infection with high mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. Candida albicans is the most dominant species responsible for causing different manifestations of candidiasis. Certain virulence traits as well as its resistance to antifungal drugs contribute to the pathogenesis of this yeast. This study was designed to determine the production of some virulence factors, such as biofilm formation and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes (esterase, coagulase, gelatinase, and catalase) by this fungus, as well as its antifungal resistance profile. A total of 304 clinical C. albicans isolates obtained from different clinical specimens were identified by a conventional diagnostic protocol. The antifungal susceptibility of C. albicans strains was determined by disk diffusion technique against commercially available antifungal disks, such as nystatin 50 μg, amphotericin B 100 unit, fluconazole 25 μg, itraconazole 10 μg, ketoconazole 10 μg, and voriconazole 1 μg. The assessment of biofilm formation was determined by the tube staining assay and spectrophotometry. Gelatinase, coagulase, catalase, and esterase enzyme production was also detected using standard techniques. A total of 66.1% (201/304) and 28.9% (88/304) of C. albicans strains were susceptible-dose dependent (SDD) to nystatin and itraconazole, respectively. Among the antifungal drugs, C. albicans strains showed high resistance to ketoconazole 24.7% (75/304); however, no statistically significant relationship between the clinical origin of C. albicans isolates and antifungal drug resistance pattern was detected. For virulence factors, the majority of the C. albicans strains actively produced biofilm and all hydrolytic enzymes. Biofilm formation was demonstrated by 88% (267/304) of the strains with a quantitative mean value 0.1762 (SD ± 0.08293). However, 100% (304/304) of isolates produced catalase enzyme, 69% (211/304) produced coagulase, 66% (197/304) produced gelatinase, and 52% (157/304) produced esterase enzyme. A significant relationship between the source of specimens and biofilm formation by C. albicans was observed; nevertheless, there was no significant relationship between different sources of C. albicans strains and the production of different enzymatic virulence factors. The study found that C. albicans strains have excellent potential to produce virulence markers and resistance to antifungals, which necessitates surveillance of these opportunistic pathogens to minimize the chances of severe invasive infections.

Immune Defences: A View from the Side of the Essential Oils.

The use of essential oils is increasingly being investigated among new therapeutic approaches based on medicinal plants and their extracts. With the wide use of synthetic and semi-synthetic antimicrobial drugs, the spread of drug-resistant clinical isolates has increased, and research is directed towards natural products, such as essential oils, as useful antimicrobial resources. In the context of a prospective infection, we compared the impact of essential oils and common antimicrobial agents on the microbicidal activity of human phagocytes. Here, we present the results of our decades-long investigation into the effectiveness of thyme red oil (26.52% thymol chemotype), tea tree oil (TTO), and Mentha of Pancalieri [(Mentha x piperita (Huds) var. officinalis (Sole), form rubescens (Camus) (Lamiaceae)] essential oils on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) capacity to kill clinical strains of Candida albicans and C. krusei when compared to three antifungal drugs used to treat candidiasis (fluconazole, anidulafungin, and caspofungin) These essential oils demonstrate antifungal drug-like and/or superior efficacy in enhancing intracellular killing by PMNs, even at subinhibitory concentrations. Our results are compared with data in the literature on essential oils and immune system interactions. This comparison would aid in identifying therapeutic solutions to the increasingly prevalent antibiotic resistance as well as filling in any remaining knowledge gaps on the bioactivity of essential oils.

Evaluating the typing power of six isoenzymatic systems for differentiation of clinical and standard isolates of Candida species

Background: Due to the increasing prevalence of candidiasis, early detection of the causative agents may pave the way for the management of this infection. The present study aimed to assess the discriminative power of the six isoenzymatic systems for differentiating the Candida species.Materials and Methods: Sixteen standard Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis strains and 30 fluconazole-sensitive and fluconazole-resistant clinical strains of Candida albicans were analyzed using a Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) method, including six enzymatic systems consisting of malate dehydrogenase (MDH), phosphoglucomutase (PGM), glucose-phosphate isomerase (GPI), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), and malic enzyme (ME).Results: Among the six enzymatic systems, ME showed no diagnostic activity, whereas MDH provided the best species-specific pattern for species discrimination. In addition, the MDH and G6PD systems provided a discriminatory pattern for differentiating C. dubliniensis from C. albicans isolates. The same isoenzymatic activity was detected in all 36 standard and clinical isolates. Moreover, the results showed no correlation between the isoenzymatic profiles and drug resistance.Conclusion: Among the investigated MLEE systems, MDH was able to differentiate between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis. Although no association was detected between isoenzyme patterns and fluconazole resistance in this investigation, isoenzyme patterns are likely correlated with virulence factors between species and even within species. To answer these questions, additional studies should be done on more strains.

Correlation between SAP2 and CAP1 in clinical strains of Candida albicans at planktonic and biofilm states.

This study aimed to explore the influences of SAP2 and CAP1 on itraconazole (ITR) resistance of Candida albicans at different states. A total of 10 ITR-resistant strains and 10 ITR-sensitive strains were used for SAP2 sequencing and CAP1 sequencing. SAP2 sequencing showed no missense mutation, and three synonymous mutations. CAP1 gene sequencing identified two missense mutations M140I (8) and K191Q (4), and 14 synonymous mutations G201A (1), A246C (5), C282T (6), G288A (6), C321T (7), A399C (16), C432T (16), C465T (11), G552A (16), G669T (1), G672A (1), G681T (2), T783C (1), and T819A (2). The biofilm formation capacity of resistant C. albicans strains, including the CAP1∆/∆ strain, was stronger. Afterward, real-time quantitative PCR was used to analyze the expression of SAP2 and CAP1. Compared with the sensitive strains, SAP2 and CAP1 expressions were both significantly upregulated in resistant strains at planktonic and biofilm states (P<0.05). Compared with the strains at planktonic state, SAP2 was significantly upregulated, while CAP1 was significantly downregulated at biofilm states (P<0.05). Additionally, SAP2 expression in the CAP1 knocked down strain of C. albicans was significantly upregulated, and SAP2 expression was evidently downregulated in the CAP1∆/∆ strain at biofilm states compared with that at planktonic states (P<0.05). Loss of CAP1 can increase SAP2 level and may influence the biofilm formation of C. albicans, thus increasing ITR resistance ofC. albicans.

Insight into the Inclusion Complexation of Fluconazole with Sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene in Aqueous Solution, Solid-State, and Its Antimycotic Activity.

The study aims to assess the interaction between fluconazole and sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene towards enhancing its dissolution performance and antimycotic activity. A solubility study was carried out at different pH conditions, and the results revealed the formation of a 1:1 molar ratio fluconazole-sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene inclusion complex with an AL type phase solubility diagrams. The solid powder systems of fluconazole-sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene were prepared using kneaded and co-evaporation techniques and physical mixtures. DCS, PXRD, TGA-DTG, FT-IR, and in vitro dissolution performance characterize the prepared systems. According to physicochemical characterization, the co-evaporation approach produces an amorphous inclusion complex of the drug inside the cavity of sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene. The co-evaporate product significantly increased the drug dissolution rate up to 93 ± 1.77% within 10 min, unlike other prepared solid powders. The antimycotic activity showed an increase substantially (p ≤ 0.05, t-test) antimycotic activity of fluconazole co-evaporate mixture with sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene compared with fluconazole alone against clinical strains of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. In conclusion, sulfonatocalix[4]naphthalene could be considered an efficient complexing agent for fluconazole to enhance its aqueous solubility, dissolution performance, and antimycotic activity.

Chemical constituents and antimicrobial ability of essential oil from the fruits of Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Maxim.

Essential oils are the natural products that can pave the way for the creation of effective drugs with various beneficial properties. Plants of Lonicera maackii are well known in the natural growth regions of temperate Asia due to therapeutic effects and a high content of the bioactive compounds. Species diversity of steppe vegetation is enriched by the introduction of plants, but the assessment of this process effectiveness should also take into account the realization of plant genetic potential for the accumulation of secondary metabolites in the new growth conditions. The aim of the work was to establish whether the plants of L. maackii introduced in the steppe zone could reproduce the health promoting properties. The essential oil from the fruits of L. maackii was obtained by hydro distillation method. Chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions isolated from the aqueous distillate of L. maackii fruits were analyzed by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS analysis). Chemical constituents identified in ethyl acetate and chloroform fraction represented 98.6% and 94.2 % of the total compounds content, respectively. Among the most abundant components were hexadecane, acetic acid, butyl ester, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, linoleic acid, and linoleic acid methyl ester in the and the alkanes heptacosane, hexadecane, and tetradecane in chloroform fraction. Linoleic acid and some minor constituents of L. maackii fruit essential oil, such as ethyl-isoallocholate, arachidic acid, linalool and d-mannitol-1-decylsulfonyl are well known because of their reported bioactivities. The antimicrobial activity of essential oil was assessed against several clinical and collection bacterial and fungal strains. The results of disc-diffusion assays showed low to moderate activity of L. maackii fruit essential oil against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, as well as against fungal itraconazole-resistant clinical strain of Candida albicans. Thus, the essential oil derived from Lonicera maackii fruits may serve as potential resource of bioactive compounds having beneficial properties, in particular, the ability to overcome the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to drugs. Further research is needed to identify the full range of bioactivities of the essential oil obtained from honeysuckle fruits.

The antifungal and antibiofilm activity of Cymbopogon nardus essential oil and citronellal on clinical strains of Candida albicans.

This study investigated the antifungal and antibiofilm activity of Cymbopogon nardus essential oil (EO) and its major compound, citronellal, in association with miconazole and chlorhexidine on clinical strains of Candida albicans. The likely mechanism(s) of action of C. nardus EO and citronellal was further determined. The EO was chemically characterized by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antifungal activity (MIC/MFC) and antibiofilm effects of C. nardus EO and citronellal were determined by the microdilution method, and their likely mechanism(s) of action was determined by the sorbitol and ergosterol assays. Then, the samples were tested for a potential association with standard drugs through the checkerboard technique. Miconazole and chlorhexidine were used as positive controls and the assays were performed in triplicate. The GC-MS analysis tentatively identified citronellal as the major compound in C. nardus EO. Both samples showed antifungal activity, with MIC of 256 µg/mL, as compared to 128 µg/mL and 8 µg/mL of miconazole and chlorhexidine, respectively. C. nardus EO and citronellal effectively inhibited biofilm formation (p < 0.05) and disrupted preformed biofilms (p < 0.0001). They most likely interact with the cell membrane, but not the cell wall, and did not present any synergistic activity when associated with standard drugs. C. nardus EO and citronellal showed strong in vitro antifungal and antibiofilm activity on C. albicans. Natural products have been historically bioprospected for novel solutions to control fungal biofilms. Our data provide relevant insights into the potential of C. nardus EO and citronellal for further clinical testing. However, additional bioavailability and toxicity studies must be carried out before these products can be used for the chemical control of oral biofilms.

Design and structure-activity relationships anticandidosic of diazaheteroaryl functionalized by Michaël acceptors

The management of candidiasis, once effective, is becoming more and more difficult with the increase of resistance of various Candida species to classical antifungals. It is in this context that we reported in our previous works the pharmacochemical development of new diazaheteroaryls derivatives functionalized with a Michael acceptor such as arylpropenone, arylacrylonitrile and arylcyanopropenone. These diazaheteroaryls derivatives with benzimidazolyl-arylpropenone or benzimidazolyl-arylacrylonitriles or benzimidazolyl-arylcyanopropenone and imidazopyridinyl-arylpropenones structure were obtained by chemical synthesis and then characterized by the usual spectroscopic methods (NMR and MS). The anticandidosic activities of these derivatives expressed as Minimum Inhibitory Quantity (MIQ) were determined in vitro on a clinical strain of Candida albicans, following the bioautography technique. The results show that diazaheteroaryls functionalized by a Michael acceptor have remarkable activities with IMQ ranging from 10 to 0.16 µg. Moreover, the anticandidosic performance of the different derivatives were related to the nature of the Michael acceptor and the structural variations undertaken on the benzene homocycle. This paper, which is the synthesis of a decade of research by our team, will address the pharmacochemical design, chemical synthesis and overall serial structure-anticandidosic activity studies of diaza-heteroaryls functionalized with a Michael acceptor in order to propose compounds that can be developed as anticandidosic drug candidates.

In vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial activity of Methanolic and Aqueous extract of Mucuna pruriens seed

The present investigation was to find out efficacy of Mucuna pruriens (M. pruriens) seeds. The antimicrobial activity of methanol and aqueous extract of M. pruriens seeds was determined by well diffusion method with ATCC strains of gram positive and gram negative bacteria clinical strains of multidrug resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae, and clinical strains of Candida albicans. It was observed that both the aqueous and the methanol extract of M. pruriens seeds had antibacterial activity against all the ATCC bacterial strains. The MDR strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae was resistant to both aqueous and methanol extract of M. pruriens seed. Antifungal activity against Candida albicans was exhibited by both aqueous and methanol extracts of M. pruriens seed.

Unveiling Biological Activities of Marine Fungi: The Effect of Sea Salt

There is an urgent need for new substances to overcome current challenges in the health sciences. Marine fungi are known producers of numerous compounds, but the manipulation of growth conditions for optimal compound production can be laborious and time-consuming. In Portugal, despite its very long coastline, there are only a few studies on marine fungi. From a collection of Portuguese marine fungi, we screened for antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzymatic, and cytotoxic activities. Mycelia aqueous extracts, obtained by high pressure-assisted extraction, and methanolic extracts of culture media showed high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The mycelium extracts of Cladosporium rubrum showed higher antioxidant potential compared to extracts from other fungi. Mycelia and culture media extracts of Aspergillus affinis and Penicillium lusitanum inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Kocuria rhizophila, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including multiresistant strains. Penicillium lusitanum and Trichoderma aestuarinum inhibited the growth of clinical strains of Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. All extracts from culture media were cytotoxic to Vero cells. Sea salt induced alterations in the mycelium’s chemical composition, leading to different activity profiles.

Chromatographic profiles and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils obtained from some species and cultivars of the Mentheae tribe (Lamiaceae).

The present study was focused on the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils (EsO) obtained from five Lamiaceae representatives grown in the south of Ukraine. Among them are Salvia sclarea L., Monarda didyma (cultivar ‘Cambridge Scarlet’), Thymus pulegioides (cultivar ‘2/6-07’), Thymus vulgaris (cultivar ‘Jalos’), and Thymus serpyllum L. The component analysis of the EsO was carried out by gas chromatography method coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The antimicrobial properties of the EsO were determined using the agar diffusion test against widespread pathogenic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes) and opportunistic yeast Candida albicans. The EsO of Thymus serpyllum and Thymus vulgaris (cultivar ‘Jalos’) displayed noteworthy antibacterial properties against a wide spectrum of the microorganisms. These antimicrobial properties could be attributed to the high content of aromatic monoterpenoid thymol (52.56% and 47.33%, respectively). The EsO of Salvia sclarea with the dominance of linalyl acetate (45.51%) and linalool (38.98%) as well as Thymus pulegioides (cultivar ‘2/6-07’) containing α-citral (27.10%) and β-citral (17.11%) demonstrated the strongest antimicrobial effects on typical and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus with the inhibition zones in the range of 24.0–31.0 mm. The Salvia sclarea EsO demonstrated the most significant effect against clinical strains of Candida albicans. In conclusion, the present study revealed the chemical composition of five Lamiaceae species and cultivars grown in the south of Ukraine and considerable antimicrobial activity of the tested EsO, especially against the typical and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The obtained results could be perspective for applying in the pharmaceutical industry and for the conservation of food and cosmetic products.

Colombian Essential Oil of Ruta graveolens against Nosocomial Antifungal Resistant Candida Strains.

Drug resistance in antifungal therapy, a problem unknown until a few years ago, is increasingly assuming importance especially in immunosuppressed patients and patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the past years, the use of essential oils as an approach to improve the effectiveness of antifungal agents and to reduce antifungal resistance levels has been proposed. Our research aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Colombian rue, Ruta graveolens, essential oil (REO) against clinical strains of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilopsis, Candida glabrata, and Candida tropicalis. Data obtained showed that C. tropicalis and C. albicans were the most sensitive strains showing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 4.1 and 8.2 µg/mL of REO. Time–kill kinetics assay demonstrated that REO showed a fungicidal effect against C. tropicalis and a fungistatic effect against C. albicans. In addition, an amount of 40% of the biofilm formed by C. albicans was eradicated using 8.2 µg/mL of REO after 1 h of exposure. The synergistic effect of REO together with some antifungal compounds was also investigated. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) showed synergic effects of REO combined with amphotericin B. REO Lead a disruption in the cellular membrane integrity, consequently resulting in increased intracellular leakage of the macromolecules, thus confirming that the plasma membrane is a target of the mode of action of REO against C. albicans and C. tropicalis.

In Vitro Evaluation of Polihexanide, Octenidine and NaClO/HClO-Based Antiseptics against Biofilm Formed by Wound Pathogens.

Chronic wounds complicated with biofilm formed by pathogens remain one of the most significant challenges of contemporary medicine. The application of topical antiseptic solutions against wound biofilm has been gaining increasing interest among clinical practitioners and scientific researchers. This paper compares the activity of polyhexanide-, octenidine- and hypochlorite/hypochlorous acid-based antiseptics against biofilm formed by clinical strains of Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The analyses included both standard techniques utilizing polystyrene plates and self-designed biocellulose-based models in which a biofilm formed by pathogens was formed on an elastic, fibrinous surface covered with a fibroblast layer. The obtained results show high antibiofilm activity of polihexanide- and octenidine-based antiseptics and lack or weak antibiofilm activity of hypochlorite-based antiseptic of total chlorine content equal to 80 parts per million. The data presented in this paper indicate that polihexanide- or octenidine-based antiseptics are highly useful in the treatment of biofilm, while hypochlorite-based antiseptics with low chlorine content may be applied for wound rinsing but not when specific antibiofilm activity is required.

Studying of biofilm formation by clinical strains of Candida albicans in interaction with Fusarium solani to predict the severity of atopic dermatitis

Aim. To assess the ability to form biofilms by clinical strains of the yeast Candida albicans isolated from patients with atopic dermatitis in exacerbation and remission stages under the effect of Fusarium solani micromycete and its absence.&#x0D; Methods. The study included 70 strains of C. albicans and one strain of F. solani. Fungal biofilms formed according to the method of Ramage. The optical density of the biofilms measured using a micro plate reader at 620 nm. The effect of associated fungi on the biofilm-forming properties of C. albicans strains was studied by an extract from opportunistic F. solani fungi.&#x0D; Results. The greatest biofilm formation was observed in strains isolated at the remission stage. The strains isolated in the acute period were inferior to them in the ability to form biofilms (average values of film formation were 0.143 and 0.087, respectively). Co-cultivation of C. albicans strains with F. solani fungus extract stimulated biofilm formation of C. albicans strains at a concentration of 1:10.&#x0D; Conclusion. This study showed a possible synergism between C. albicans and F. solani in polymicrobial skin infections, because the products of the fungus F. solani increase one of the virulence factors of the fungus C. albicans; the possibility to assess of a stimulating effect of associated fungi on the virulence one of an agent of infectious disease process will allow predicting the disease severity.