Schiff bases are aldehyde-or ketone-like compounds in which the carbonyl group is replaced by an imine or azomethine group. They are widely used for industrial purposes and also exhibit a broad range of biological activities. This short review compiles examples of the most promising antimalarial, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral Schiff bases. An overview of synthetic methodologies used for the preparation of Schiff bases is also described.

The lack of antifungal compounds with reduced side effects highlights the importance of studying natural products for this purpose. Curcumin was a more potent antifungal than fluconazole against P. brasiliensis, the causal agent of the neglected disease paracoccidioidomycosis. Curcumin dramatically inhibited the adhesion of Candida species isolated from AIDS patients to BEC, demonstrating that curcumin is a promising lead compound that warrants further investigation into its therapeutical use in immunocompromised patients.

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Antifungal properties of extracts from eight Brazilian plants traditionally used in popular Brazilian medicine were tested against five clinically relevant Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Sporothrix schenckii. Results demonstrate that almost all extracts exhibited antifungal activity, at least against one of the microorganisms tested. The ethanolic extract from the leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius exhibited potential antifungal activity against C. glabrata and S. schenckii. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of extract from S. terebinthifolius showed the presence of biologically active compounds, namely saponins, flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids and tannins.

Candida species are a normal commensal present in a large percentage of healthy individuals. Denture wearers are predisposed to the development of candidosis and to the presence of Candida spp. The presence of the yeast, even in healthy subjects, should be considered more carefully. We investigated the prevalence of Candida spp. in 112 denture wearers and 103 individuals with natural teeth, patients from the clinic of total prosthesis of the Dental School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and from the School of Pharmacy and Dentistry of Alfenas, Brazil. Factors like gender, age over 60 years, low education, and xerostomia were directly associated with the presence of Candida yeasts at a significance level of 5% (p > 0.05). However, the major predisposing factor for the carrier state was wearing dentures (p = 0.001). Candida isolates were identified using morphological and biochemical profiles. Seventy-one isolates were identified as C. albicans (65.1%), 15 as C. glabrata (13.7%), 8 as C. parapsilosis (7.3%), 3 as C. krusei (2.7%), and 12 as C. tropicalis (11.0%). Susceptibility testing to fluconazole and itraconazole was also performed with the strains obtained. Both drugs showed a strong inhibition against most oral isolates.

Infections caused by Candida yeasts are common in elderly individuals. Seventy-five isolates of Candida spp. were obtained from saliva samples of 136 institutionalized elderly individuals resident in six retirement homes of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Forty-seven isolates (62.66%) were identified as Candida albicans, 15 (20%) as C. tropicalis, 7 (9.33%) as C. glabrata, 4 (5.33) as C. parapsilosis, and 2 (2.67%) as C. guilliermondii. Among the 136 elderly individuals studied, 49 (36%) were male and 87 (64%) were female. Ages ranged from 60 to 90 years old. Sixty-three (46.3%) of the institutionalized individuals were denture wearers and, among them, 53 (84.1%) carried Candida yeasts in the oral cavity. Forty-four subjects presented lesions in the oral mucosa and among these, 36 (82%), had positive culture for Candida spp. The samples were tested for the in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole and 5-flucytosin, and great variations were observed in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these drugs according to the species.