Lactoferrin, chitosan and Melaleuca alternifolia —natural products that show promise in candidiasis treatment

Abstract

The evolution of microorganisms resistant to many medicines has become a major challenge for the scientific community around the world. Motivated by the gravity of such a situation, the World Health Organization released a report in 2014 with the aim of providing updated information on this critical scenario. Among the most worrying microorganisms, species from the genus Candida have exhibited a high rate of resistance to antifungal drugs. Therefore, the objective of this review is to show that the use of natural products (extracts or isolated biomolecules), along with conventional antifungal therapy, can be a very promising strategy to overcome microbial multiresistance. Some promising alternatives are essential oils of Melaleuca alternifolia (mainly composed of terpinen-4-ol, a type of monoterpene), lactoferrin (a peptide isolated from milk) and chitosan (a copolymer from chitin). Such products have great potential to increase antifungal therapy efficacy, mitigate side effects and provide a wide range of action in antifungal therapy.

Changes in circRNA expression profiles related to the antagonistic effects of Escherichia coli F17 in lamb spleens

“…LAMA1 mutations may be related to Poretti-Boltshauser syndrome, and studies have shown that LAMA1 deficiency can lead to cytoskeletal changes 36 . LTF is a member of the transferrin family, whose protein products initiate host defence against a wide range of microbial infections and antigenic activity 37 . The protein encoded by MGAT5 belongs to the glycosyltransferase family and is one of the most important enzymes involved in the regulation of the biosynthesis of glycoprotein oligosaccharides.…”

In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil

“…The essential oil from M. alternifolia can be obtained easily from the hydrodistillation of M. alternifolia leaves, and the chemical composition is dependent on the extraction method used and crop region the samples are taken from [ 3 ]. The chemical components of M. alternifolia essential oil used in this study are presented in Table 1 .…”

“…In the last decade, research into essential (volatile) oils has received increasing attention from both industrial and academic sectors because of the growing interest in green consumerism and the need for alternative techniques to assure the quality and safety of perishable foods [ 1 ]. The plant Melaleuca alternifolia (M. alternifolia) belongs to the Myrtaceae family [ 2 ], which is described as a scrubland species and found throughout South America, western India, and Australia [ 3 ]. The plant has been used in medicine, cosmetics, food, agriculture, and other industries [ 4 – 7 ].…”

Approaches in Polymeric Nanoparticles for Vaginal Drug Delivery: A Review of the State of the Art

“…These can be employed by chromotherapeutic oral-delivery drug systems and can be considered for mucosal delivery [ 30 ]. β-lactoglobulin has been employed as a lactoferrin encapsulant in microcapsules [ 31 ]. Zein, a protein of plant origin, has been used in combination with chitosan to prepare curcumin nanocapsules by the electrospray method with particle sizes ranging from 337–600 nm.…”