Isolation of Candida albicans and Evaluation of Plant Extracts for Antifungal Activity.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37376/sjuob.v38i2.7449Keywords:
Candida albicans, Antifungal resistance, Allium sativm, salvia rosmarinus, Mentha, Natural antifungal agents, Fungal pathogensAbstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a common opportunistic fungal pathogen trustworthy for a variety of infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The increasing resistance to antifungal agents necessitates the search for alternative treatment options. In this study, we isolated C. albicans from clinical and environmental samples and evaluated several plant extracts, such as Allium sativm, salvia rosmarinus, Mentha, which we believed possessed antifungal activity. These plant extracts were tested for their ability to inhibit C. albicans growth using standard laboratory assays. Various plant extracts, including Allium sativm, salvia rosmarinus, Mentha yielded very similar results in terms of fungal inhibition, with the exception of the disc impregnated with peppermint extract, where no area of inhibition was observed. Several extracts exemplified promising inhibitory effects on fungal growth, suggesting that compounds derived from Allium sativm, salvia rosmarinus, Mentha could offer useful possibility or complement to current antifungal treatments. These findings paved the way for growth of plant based therapies to conflict drug reluctant fungal infections. The extracts exhibited great antifungal effects, notice on their potential as natural curative agents. These findings would assist further research into plant compounds as other possibility or complements to traditional antifungal drugs.Downloads
References
Macias-Paz, I. U., Pérez-Hernández, S., Tavera-Tapia, A., Luna-Arias, J. P., Guerra-Cárdenas, J. E., & Reyna-Beltrán, E. (2023). Candida albicans the main opportunistic pathogenic fungus in humans. Revista Argentina de microbiología, 55(2), 189-198. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ram.2022.08.003
Duan, Y., Wang, Z. J., Mei, L. N., Shen, J. S., He, X. C., & Luo, X. D. (2025). Anti-Candida albicans effect and mechanism of Pachysandra axillaris Franch. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 340, 119284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2024.119284
Rocha, F. M. G., Rocha, C. H. L., Silva, L. C. N., Pinheiro, A. J. M. C. R., Mendonca, A. M. S., Cantanhede Filho, A. J., ... & Monteiro, C. A. (2025). n-butanol fraction of Terminalia catappa possesses anti-Candida albicans properties and in vivo action on Tenebrio molitor alternative infection model. Microbial Pathogenesis, 198, 107133. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2024.107133
Cordisco, E., Petenatti, E., Svetaz, L., & Sortino, M. (2021). Evaluation of the antifungal photodynamic activity of Thymophylla pentachaeta extracts against Candida albicans and its virulence factors. Phytomedicine, 90, 153608. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.phymed. 2021. 153608
Serrano, A., Basante-Bedoya, M. A., Bassilana, M., & Arkowitz, R. A. (2023). A live-cell ergosterol reporter for visualization of the effects of fluconazole on the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Mbio, 14(6), e02493-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02493-23
MacAlpine, J., Liu, Z., Hossain, S., Whitesell, L., Robbins, N., & Cowen, L. E. (2023). DYRK-family kinases regulate Candida albicans morphogenesis and virulence through the Ras1/PKA pathway. MBio, 14(6), e02183-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02183-23
Iyer, K. R., Robbins, N., & Cowen, L. E. (2022). The role of Candida albicans stress response pathways in antifungal tolerance and resistance. Iscience, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci. 2022.103953
Robbins, N., & Cowen, L. E. (2023). Roles of Hsp90 in Candida albicans morphogenesis and virulence. Current opinion in microbiology, 75, 102351. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.mib. 2023.102351
Li, L., Lu, H., Zhang, X., Whiteway, M., Wu, H., Tan, S., ... & Jiang, Y. (2022). Baicalein acts against Candida albicans by targeting Eno1 and inhibiting glycolysis. Microbiology spectrum, 10(4), e02085-22. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02085-22
Murdoch, L. E., McKenzie, K., Maclean, M., Macgregor, S. J., & Anderson, J. G. (2013). Lethal effects of high-intensity violet 405-nm light on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and on dormant and germinating spores of Aspergillus niger. Fungal Biology, 117(7-8), 519-527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2013.05.004
Yang, F., Gritsenko, V., Slor Futterman, Y., Gao, L., Zhen, C., Lu, H., ... & Berman, J. (2021). Tunicamycin potentiates antifungal drug tolerance via aneuploidy in Candida albicans. MBio, 12(4), 10-1128. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02272-21
[Mu, C., Pan, C., Han, Q., Liu, Q., Wang, Y., & Sang, J. (2019). Phosphatidate phosphatase Pah1 has a role in the hyphal growth and virulence of Candida albicans. Fungal Genetics and Biology, 124, 47-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fgb.2018.12.010
Kiliszek, A., Rypniewski, W., Rząd, K., Milewski, S., & Gabriel, I. (2019). Crystal structures of aminotransferases Aro8 and Aro9 from Candida albicans and structural insights into their properties. Journal of Structural Biology, 205(3), 26-33. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.02.001
Yu, T., Hou, J., Hafeez, F., Ge, P., Zou, A., Fu, Y., ... & Xianyu, Y. (2024). Fungus-mediated biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles with synergistic antifungal activity against multidrug-resistant Candida albicans. Nano Today, 59, 102486. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.nantod.2024.102486
Rahmatian, N., Abbasi, S., Abbasi, N., & Yaraki, M. T. (2024). Alginatecarbon dot nanocomposite: A green approach towards designing turn-on aptasenor for Candida albicans fungus. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 282, 137315. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.137315
Holzknecht, J., Dubrac, S., Hedtrich, S., Galgóczy, L., & Marx, F. (2022). Small, cationic antifungal proteins from filamentous fungi inhibit Candida albicans growth in 3D skin infection models. Microbiology Spectrum, 10(3), e00299-22. https: //doi.org/ 10.1128/ spectrum. 00299-22
Arasu, A., Pingley, V., Prabha, N., OV, R., Annathurai, K., Kasirajan, S., ... & Arockiaraj, J. (2021). Impact and fungitoxic spectrum of Trachyspermum ammi against Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogenic fungus commonly found in human gut that causes Candidiasis infection. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 14(12), 1854-1863. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.09.027
Yin, W., Zhang, Y., Cui, H., Jiang, H., Liu, L., Zheng, Y., ... & Cheng, M. (2021). Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel 5-phenylthiophene derivatives as potent fungicidal of Candida albicans and antifungal reagents of fluconazole-resistant fungi. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 225, 113740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113740
Chatterjee, S., Ghosh, R., & Mandal, N. C. (2020). Inhibition of biofilm-and hyphal-development, two virulent features of Candida albicans by secondary metabolites of an endophytic fungus Alternaria tenuissima having broad spectrum antifungal potential. Microbiological research, 232, 126386. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.micres. 2019. 126386
Van Genechten, W., Demuyser, L., Duwé, S., Vandenberg, W., Van Dijck, P., & Dedecker, P. (2021). Photochromic fluorophores enable imaging of lowly expressed proteins in the autofluorescent fungus Candida albicans. Msphere, 6(2), 10-1128. https: //doi.org/ 10.1128/ msphere.00146-21
Vilela, C., Oliveira, H., Almeida, A., Silvestre, A. J., & Freire, C. S. (2019). Nanocellulose-based antifungal nanocomposites against the polymorphic fungus Candida albicans. Carbohydrate Polymers, 217, 207-216. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.carbpol. 2019. 04. 046
Belghit, S., Driche, E. H., Bijani, C., Zitouni, A., Sabaou, N., Badji, B., & Mathieu, F. (2016). Activity of 2, 4-Di-tert-butylphenol produced by a strain of Streptomyces mutabilis isolated from a Saharan soil against Candida albicans and other pathogenic fungi. Journal de mycologie medicale, 26(2), 160-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycmed.2016.03.001
Djihane, B., Wafa, N., Elkhamssa, S., Pedro, D. H. J., Maria, A. E., & Mihoub, Z. M. (2017). Chemical constituents of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don essential oil and their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, filamentous fungi and Candida albicans. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 25(5), 780-787. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jsps.2016.11.001
Kniemeyer, O., Schmidt, A. D., Voedisch, M., Wartenberg, D., & Brakhage, A. A. (2011). Identification of virulence determinants of the human pathogenic fungi Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans by proteomics. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 301(5),368-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2011.04.001
Moradkhah, S., Larypoor, M., & Allahverdi, A. (2025). Design and Fabrication of a Rapid Detection Biosensor for Candida albicans Diagnosis in a Microfluidic Platform. Talanta Open, 100478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2025.100478
Isbilir, H., Kaya, H. O., Tekintaş, Y., Kurul, F., Cetin, A. E., & Topkaya, S. N. (2025). Enhanced electrochemical biosensing of Candida albicans via NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticle-doped imprinted polymers. Microchemical Journal, 114513. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.microc. 2025.114513
Liu, R., Ji, W., Jiang, M., & Shen, J. (2025). CRISPR technology combined with isothermal amplification methods for the diagnosis of Candida albicans infection. Clinica Chimica Acta, 567, 120106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2024.120106
Yue, D., Zheng, D., Yang, L., Bai, Y., Song, Z., Li, D., ... & Li, Y. (2025). Berberine disrupts the high-affinity iron transport system to reverse the fluconazole-resistance in Candida albicans. Microbial Pathogenesis, 200, 107370. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/ j.micpath. 2025.107370
Ko, B. S., Park, S. G., & Rhee, M. S. (2025). Synergistic antifungal effect of naturally-derived antimicrobials with penetration enhancer against Candida albicans biofilm at 5° C and 22° C. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 102882. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jiph.2025.102882
Ordiales, H., Olano, C., Martín, C., Blanco-Agudín, N., Alcalde, I., Merayo-Lloves, J., & Quirós, L. M. (2025). Phosphoglycerate mutase and methionine synthase act as adhesins of Candida albicans to the corneal epithelium, altering their expression during the tissue adhesion process. Experimental Eye Research, 254, 110322. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.exer.2025.110322
Rivera, A., Viñado, B., Benito, N., Docobo-Pérez, F., Fernández-Cuenca, F., Fernández-Domínguez, J., ... & Navarro, F. (2023). Recommendations of the Spanish Antibiogram Committee (COESANT) for in vitro susceptibility testing of antimicrobial agents by disk diffusion. Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, 41(9), 571-576. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.eimce.2022.12.009
Wilson, D. (2019). Candida albicans. Trends in Microbiology, 27(2), 188-189. https: //doi.org/ 10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.03.014
Favre, B., Hofbauer, B., Hildering, K. S., & Ryder, N. S. (2003). Comparison of in vitro activities of 17 antifungal drugs against a panel of 20 dermatophytes by using a microdilution assay. Journal of clinical microbiology, 41(10), 4817-4819. doi: 10.1128/JCM.41.10.4817-4819.2003
Jabri, B., Iken, M., Ait-Ou-Amar, S., Rida, S., Bouziane, A., & Ennibi, O. K. (2022). Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis in periodontitis in adolescents and young adults. International Journal of Microbiology, 2022(1), 4625368. https: //doi.org/ 10.1155/2022/4625368
Mohamed, A. O., Mohamed, M. S., Mallhi, T. H., Hussain, M. A., Jalloh, M. A., Omar, K. A., ... & Ali, A. A. M. M. (2022). Prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among pregnant women in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 16(08), 1243-1251. doi:10.3855/jidc.15536
Payne, V. K., Florence Cécile, T. T., Cedric, Y., Christelle Nadia, N. A., & José, O. (2020). Risk factors associated with prevalence of Candida albicans, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Trichomonas vaginalis among women at the district hospital of Dschang, west region, Cameroon. International Journal of Microbiology, 2020(1), 8841709. https: //doi.org/ 10.1155/2020/8841709
Ōsuke, M. (1959). Fundamental study on the disc method of antibiotic sensitivity test. The Journal of Antibiotics, Series A, 12(5), 263-284. https: //doi.org /10.11554/ antibioticsa. 12.5_263
Mdee, L. K., Masoko, P., & Eloff, J. N. (2009). The activity of extracts of seven common invasive plant species on fungal phytopathogens. South African Journal of Botany, 75(2), 375-379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2009.02.003
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Scientific Journal of University of Benghazi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
