Antibiofilm and Anti-Candidal Activities of the Extract of the Marine Sponge Agelas dispar

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the antifungal and antibio lm activity of Agelas dispar on bio lmproducing of Candida species. Methanolic extract of A. dispar was obtained and the fraction Ag2 showed inhibitory activity for all the 13 Candida strains tested, in concentrations ranging from 2.5 mg/ml to 0.15625 mg/ml. Antifungal activity of fungicidal nature was seen between 5.0 mg/ml and 0.3125 mg/ml of extract against the strains. All strains were classi ed as bio lm producers. Methanolic extract Ag2 was tested at concentrations of 2.5 mg/ml and 1.25 mg/ml for antibio lm activity against the bio lm in formation and mature bio lm from all the strains of the genus Candida. Treated and untreated bio lm samples were selected for visualization on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM allowed the visualization of the quantitative decrease of the microbial community, alterations of structural morphology and destruction, at the cellular level, in both forming and mature bio lm. It was suggested that the mechanism of action of the fraction is at a plasma membrane and/or cell wall alteration level.The fraction of methanolic extract of A. dispar may be a promising antifungal and antibio lm therapeutic strategy against different species of the genus Candida.

Invasive Candida kefyr infection presenting as pyelonephritis in an ICU hospitalized COVID-19 patient: Case report and review of the literature

“…Biofilm staining ( Fig. 4 ) and quantification was performed as previously described [23] and the isolate was classified as a strong biofilm producer [24] .

Fig 1 CT scan: Caliectasis of the left kidney

Fig 2 C. kefyr colonies on Sabouraud Dextrose agar.

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