In vivo activity of Sapindus saponaria against azole-susceptible and -resistant human vaginal Candida species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Study of <it>in vivo </it>antifungal activity of the hydroalcoholic extract (HE) and n-BuOH extract (BUTE) of <it>Sapindus saponaria </it>against azole-susceptible and -resistant human vaginal <it>Candida </it>spp.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The <it>in vitro </it>antifungal activity of HE, BUTE, fluconazole (FLU), and itraconazole (ITRA) was determined by the broth microdilution method. We obtained values of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicide concentration (MFC) for 46 strains of <it>C. albicans </it>and 10 of <it>C. glabrata </it>isolated from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). VVC was induced in hyperestrogenic Wistar rats with azole-susceptible <it>C. albicans </it>(SCA), azole-resistant <it>C. albicans </it>(RCA), and azole-resistant <it>C. glabrata </it>(RCG). The rats were treated intravaginally with 0.1 mL of HE or BUTE at concentrations of 1%, 2.5% and 5%; 100 μg/mL of FLU (treatment positive control); or distilled water (negative control) at 1, 24, and 48 h after induction of the infection, and the progress of VVC was monitored by culturing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The toxicity was evaluated in cervical cells of the HeLa cell line.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The extracts showed <it>in vitro </it>inhibitory and fungicidal activity against all the isolates, and the MIC and MFC values for the <it>C. glabrata </it>isolates were slightly higher. <it>In vivo</it>, the SCA, RCA, and RCG infections were eliminated by 21 days post-infection, with up to 5% HE and BUTE, comparable to the activity of FLU. No cytotoxic action was observed for either extract.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrated that HE and BUTE from <it>S. saponaria </it>show inhibitory and fungicidal activity <it>in vitro</it>, in addition to <it>in vivo </it>activity against azole-resistant vaginal isolates of <it>C. glabrata </it>and azole-susceptible and resistant isolates of <it>C. albicans</it>. Also considering the lack of cytotoxicity and the low concentrations of the extracts necessary to eliminate the infection <it>in vivo</it>, HE and BUTE show promise for continued studies with purified antifungal substances in VVC yeast isolates.</p

Propolis: a potential natural product to fight Candida species infections

Aim: To evaluate the effect of propolis against Candida species planktonic cells and its counterpart's biofilms. Materials & methods: The MIC values, time-kill curves and filamentation form inhibition were determined in Candida planktonic cells. The effect of propolis on Candida biofilms was assessed through quantification of CFUs. Results: MIC values, ranging from 220 to 880 µg/ml, demonstrated higher efficiency on C. albicans and C. parapsilosis than on C. tropicalis cells. In addition, propolis was able to prevent Candida species biofilm's formation and eradicate their mature biofilms, coupled with a significant reduction on C. tropicalis and C. albicans filamentation. Conclusion: Propolis is an inhibitor of Candida virulence factors and represents an innovative alternative to fight candidiasis.The authors thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Cnpq) and Fundação Araucária for the financial support received. Flávia Tobaldini-Valerio acknowledges the financial support of CAPES – Proc. 9469/14-1. The authors also thank FCT for the Strategic Project of the UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, FCT and European Union funds (FEDER/COMPETE) for the project RECI/BBBEBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed