A Specific Mixture of Propolis and Carnosic Acid Triggers a Strong Fungicidal Action against Cryptococcus neoformans.
Antibiotics (Basel)
; 10(11)2021 Nov 13.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34827333
ABSTRACT
Current antifungal chemotherapy against the prevalent basidiomycete Cryptococcus neoformans displays some drawbacks. This pathogenic fungus is refractory to echinocandins, whereas conventional treatment with amphotericin B plus 5-fluorocytosine has a limited efficacy. In this study, we explored the potential cryptococcal activity of some natural agents. After conducting a screening test with a set of propolis from different geographical areas, we selected an extract from China, which displayed a certain cytotoxic activity against C. neoformans, due to this extract being cheap and easily available in large amounts. The combination of this kind of propolis with carnosic acid in a 14 ratio induced a stronger fungicidal effect, which occurred following a synergistic pattern, without visible alterations in external cell morphology. Furthermore, several carnosic acid-propolis formulations applied onto preformed biofilms decreased the metabolic activity of the sessile cells forming biofilms. These data support the potential application of mixtures containing these two natural extracts in the design of new antifungal strategies in order to combat opportunistic infections caused by prevalent pathogenic fungi.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Antibiotics (Basel)
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
España