In Vitro Anti-Biofilm Activities of Citral and Thymol Against Candida Tropicalis

Abstract

Candida tropicalis is an emerging non-albicans Candida species which is pathogenic to the immune-compromised humans, especially in tropical countries, including India. The acquired resistance of Candida species towards antifungal therapies is of major concern. Moreover, limited efficacy and dosage constraint of synthetic drugs have indicated the prerequisite of finding new and natural drugs for treatment. In the present study, we have compared the influence of citral and thymol on C. tropicalis and its biofilm along with expression levels of certain antifungal tolerance genes. The antifungal and anti-biofilm activities of the both were studied using 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide sodium salt (XTT) reduction assay, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Citral and thymol have damaged the cells with distorted surface and less viability. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed augmented expression of the cell membrane biosynthesis genes including ERG11/CYT450 against citral and the cell wall related tolerance genes involving CNB1 against thymol thus, depicting their differential mode of actions.

Delineating the Biofilm Inhibition Mechanisms of Phenolic and Aldehydic Terpenes against Cryptococcus neoformans

“…In this regard, previous reports have established natural phenolic (THY and CARV) and aldehydic (CIT) terpenes as potential candidates against biofilms. 15−17 Recently, we reported the nontoxic behavior of these phenolic/aldehydic terpenes at their respective BIC 80 falling into a safe dosage range without causing substantial toxicity against human keratinocytes and renal cells. 17 The phenolic terpenes THY/CARV caused ∼8–11% loss in viability of keratinocytes at 32 μg/mL.…”

“…These are complex and volatile compounds with well-established antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential against different pathogens. 14,15 Among the EO-ACs, thymol (THY), carvacrol (CARV), and citral (CIT) have been extensively reported to strongly inhibit biofilms of pathogenic bacteria including carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli, uropathogenic Escherichia coli, and fungilike C. albicans and Cryptococcus spp (Figure 1). 16,17 Both THY and CARV are phenolic terpenes obtained from Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare , whereas CIT is an aldehydic terpene extracted from Cymbopogon citratus .…”

Silymarin, a Popular Dietary Supplement Shows Anti–Candida Activity

“…The transcription inhibition of one of the genes encoding aspartyl proteinases seems to have a direct effect on the reduction of the secretion of Saps. Many reports indicate that natural herbal products contribute to the inhibition of the expression of critical adhesion and hyphal growth-associated genes [29][30][31].…”

Proteomic and Systematic Functional Profiling Unveils Citral Targeting Antibiotic Resistance, Antioxidant Defense, and Biofilm-Associated Two-Component Systems of Acinetobacter baumannii To Encumber Biofilm and Virulence Traits

“…The pellet was then suspended in 70% ethanol and dried in a vacuum evaporator. carbamidomethylation and methionine oxidation, acetylation of the N terminus, and phosphorylation of S, T, and Y amino acids (16,19).…”

“…It has been used for its wide range of biological properties, such as its antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antioxidant, and anticancer activities ( 13 – 15 ). Previous studies reported the antibiofilm activity of citral against Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Vibrio parahaemolyticus , and Candida tropicalis ( 16 – 19 ). With this backdrop, the current study aimed at evaluating the antibiofilm potential of citral against A. baumannii and mainly focused on a proteomics-based approach to decipher the molecular mechanism underlying the antibiofilm activity of citral.…”