p-Coumaric acid loaded into liquid crystalline systems as a novel strategy to the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis

Mangaba (hancornia speciosa): exploring potent antifungal and antioxidant properties in lyophilised fruit pulp extract through in vitro analysis

Mangaba is a fruit native to Brazil, rich in bioactive compounds. To evaluate physicochemical composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antifungal activity of mangaba fruit pulp. Moisture, ash, protein, lipid, energy values and phenolic compounds were determined. Antioxidant activity was determined by capture of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Evaluation of antifungal activity was performed by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, according to protocols M07-A9 and M27-S3, and minimum fungicidal concentration. Freeze-dried mangaba pulp presented high levels of carbohydrates, low levels of lipids, and high energy density. Phenolic analysis demonstrated that chlorogenic acid was found in the highest concentration, followed by p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. Mangaba extract showed antioxidant activity like BHT. Mangaba extract inhibited the growth of Candida albicans (ATCC 90028), Cryptococcus gattii (AFLP4), Candida guilliermondii (ATCC 6260) and Candida albicans (MYA 2876). Freeze-dried mangaba inhibited fungal activity associated with antioxidant effect due to presence of phenolic compounds.

Antifungal Activity, Mode of Action, and Cytotoxicity of 4-Chlorobenzyl p-Coumarate: A Promising New Molecule

Fungal infections represent a serious health problem worldwide. The study evaluated the antifungal activity of 4-chlorobenzyl p-coumarate, an unprecedented semi-synthetic molecule. Docking molecular and assay experiments were conducted to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC), mode of action, effect on growth, fungal death kinetics, drug association, effects on biofilm, micromorphology, and against human keratinocytes. The investigation included 16 strains of Candida spp, including C. albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. dubliniensis, C. lusitaniae, C. utilis, C. rugosa, C. guilhermondi, and C. parapsilosis. Docking analysis predicted affinity between the molecule and all tested targets. MIC and MFC values ranged from 3.9 μg/mL (13.54 μM) to 62.5 μg/mL (217.01 μM), indicating a probable effect on the plasma membrane. The molecule inhibited growth from the first hour of testing. Association with nystatin proved to be indifferent. All concentrations of the molecule reduced fungal biofilm. The compound altered fungal micromorphology. The tested compound exhibited an IC50 of 7.90±0.40 μg/mL (27.45±1.42 μM) for keratinocytes. 4-chlorobenzyl p-coumarate showed strong fungicidal effects, likely through its action on the plasma membrane and alteration of fungal micromorphology, and mildly cytotoxic to human keratinocytes.

From plants to particles: herbal solutions and nanotechnology combating resistant vulvovaginal candidiasis

Despite having current advanced therapy, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a common yet debated healthcare-associated topic worldwide due to multi-drug resistance Candida species. In our review, we outlined and highlighted upcoming values with scope of existing and emerging information regarding the possibility of using various natural molecules combined with modern technology that shows promising anti-candida activity in VVC. Furthermore, in this review, we compiled herbal drug molecules and their nanocarriers approach for enhancing the efficacy and stability of herbal molecules. We have also summarized the patent literature available on herbal drug molecules and their nanoformulation techniques that could alternatively become a new innovative era to combat resistance VVC.

Novel Arena of Nanocosmetics: Applications and their Remarkable Contribution in the Management of Dermal Disorders, Topical Delivery, Future Trends and Challenges

Nanocosmetics have attracted a considerable audience towards natural care due to their low cost, target-specific delivery, and reduced toxicity compared to chemical-based cosmetics. Nanofomulations, including nanoemulsions, nanotubes, and polymeric carriers, have become next-generation products explored for the multifaced applications of nanotechnology in skin care. The rise in the cosmetic industry demands innovative and personalized products designed using nanocarriers for better targeting and improving patient compliance. Furthermore, nanocosmetics increase the efficiency of skin permeation active ingredient entrapment, providing better UV protection. Moreover, it offers controlled drug release, targeting active sites and enhancing physical stability. Further, overcoming the drawback of penetration problems makes them sustainable formulations for precision medicine. Skincare nourishment with nanocosmetics using Indian spices helps to maintain, beautify, and rejuvenate human skin. Nanophytopharmaceuticals extracted from plants, including alkaloids, flavonoids, antioxidants, and volatile oils, are essential phyto-products for skin care. Nano herbals and nanocosmetics are a growing market and gift of nature that nourishes and cures skin ailments like acne, pemphigus, anti-aging, albinism, psoriasis, and fungal infections. The emerging concern is highlighted in the investigation of nanoformulation toxicity and safety concerns in skin care. Further, it helps to manifest research, development, and innovation in expanding the scope of herbal industries.

Intranasal in situ gelling liquid crystal for delivery of resveratrol ameliorates memory and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an illness that affects people aged 65 or older and affects around 6.5 million in the United States. Resveratrol is a chemical obtained from natural products and it exhibits biological activity based on inhibiting the formation, depolymerization of the amyloid, and decreasing neuroinflammation. Due to the insolubility of this compound; its incorporation in surfactant-based systems was proposed to design an intranasal formulation. A range of systems has been produced by mixing oleic acid, CETETH-20 and water. Polarised light microscopy (PLM), small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm the initial liquid formulation (F) presented as microemulsion (ME). After dilution, the gelled systems were characterized as hexagonal mesophase and they showed feasibility proprieties. Pharmacological assays performed after intranasal administration showed the ability to improve learning and memory in animals, as well as remission of neuroinflammation via inhibition of interleukin.

Clinical Manifestations of Human Exposure to Fungi

Biological particles, along with inorganic gaseous and particulate pollutants, constitute an ever-present component of the atmosphere and surfaces. Among these particles are fungal species colonizing almost all ecosystems, including the human body. Although inoffensive to most people, fungi can be responsible for several health problems, such as allergic fungal diseases and fungal infections. Worldwide fungal disease incidence is increasing, with new emerging fungal diseases appearing yearly. Reasons for this increase are the expansion of life expectancy, the number of immunocompromised patients (immunosuppressive treatments for transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiency diseases), the number of uncontrolled underlying conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus), and the misusage of medication (e.g., corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics). Managing fungal diseases is challenging; only four classes of antifungal drugs are available, resistance to these drugs is increasing, and no vaccines have been approved. The present work reviews the implications of fungal particles in human health from allergic diseases (i.e., allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, severe asthma with fungal sensitization, thunderstorm asthma, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, and occupational lung diseases) to infections (i.e., superficial, subcutaneous, and systemic infections). Topics such as the etiological agent, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment will be revised to improve the knowledge of this growing health concern.

Are γ-terpinene, 1,8-cineole, p-coumaric acid, and quercetin active against wild-type and non-wild-type Sporothrix brasiliensis to itraconazole?

The emergence of itraconazole (ITZ)-resistant Sporothrix brasiliensis in feline and canine cases in southern Brazil has hampered the clinical cure of animal sporotrichosis, encouraging the search for therapeutic alternatives. The promising use of plants extracts from Lamiaceae family is known; however, there are no studies with its major compounds, as γ-terpinene (γTER), 1,8-cineole (1,8CIN), p-coumaric acid (pCOU), and quercetin (QUER). For the first time, we evaluated the antifungal, synergistic, cytotoxic activities and action mechanism of these compounds against S. brasiliensis. For this, 28 S. brasiliensis from cats (n = 24) and dogs (n = 4) and standard strains of S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii (n = 4) were tested by M38-A2 (CLSI), revealing non-wild-type (WT) isolates to ITZ on 54.2% (13/24) and 75% (03/04) of feline and canine isolates, respectively. Of the compounds, γTER stood out against all isolates (MIC/MFC 0.75 to > 3 mg/ml; MIC50 3 mg/ml). However, 1,8CIN, pCOU, and QUER showed little or no activity (MIC50 > 3 mg/ml). Thus, γTER was selected for checkerboard assay, whose combination with ITZ showed synergistic (WT isolates) and indifferent (non-WT isolates) interaction. For action mechanism (sorbitol protection and ergosterol effect), γTER acted in membrane by complexing with fungal ergosterol and at the cell wall level, showing two possible pathways as antifungal target. Finally, cytotoxicity (MTT assay) showed that γTER was the safest compound on MDBK cells, even at a concentration of 3 mg/ml (90.16%). Our findings support that γTER is a potent antifungal candidate for the control of sporotrichosis, including against non-WT S. brasiliensis.

Amyloid Fibrils Enhance the Topical Bio-Adhesivity of Liquid Crystalline Mesophase-Based Drug Formulations

Despite their distinctive secondary structure based on cross β-strands, amyloid fibrils (AF) are stable fibrous protein aggregates with features similar to collagen, one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, and thus constitute a potential scaffold for enhancing cell adhesion for topical applications. Here, the contribution of AF to skin bio-adhesivity aiming toward topical treatments is investigated. Liquid crystalline mesophase (LCM) based on phytantriol is formulated, with the aqueous phase containing either water or a solution of 4 wt% amyloid fibrils. Then resveratrol is added as a model anti-inflammatory molecule. The developed LCM presents a double gyroid Ia3d mesophase. The incorporation of AF into the LCM increases its bio-adhesive properties. In vitro release and ex vivo permeation and retention confirm the controlled release property of the system, and that resveratrol is retained in epidermis and dermis, but is also permeated through the skin. All formulations are biocompatible with L929 cells. The in vivo assay confirms that systems with AF lead to a higher anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol. These results confirm the hypothesis that the incorporation of AF in the LCM increases the bio-adhesiveness and efficiency of the system for topical treatment, and consequently, the therapeutical action of the encapsulated drug.

Natural Compounds: A Hopeful Promise as an Antibiofilm Agent Against Candida Species

The biofilm communities of Candida are resistant to various antifungal treatments. The ability of Candida to form biofilms on abiotic and biotic surfaces is considered one of the most important virulence factors of these fungi. Extracellular DNA and exopolysaccharides can lower the antifungal penetration to the deeper layers of the biofilms, which is a serious concern supported by the emergence of azole-resistant isolates and Candida strains with decreased antifungal susceptibility. Since the biofilms' resistance to common antifungal drugs has become more widespread in recent years, more investigations should be performed to develop novel, inexpensive, non-toxic, and effective treatment approaches for controlling biofilm-associated infections. Scientists have used various natural compounds for inhibiting and degrading Candida biofilms. Curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, terpinen-4-ol, linalool, geraniol, cineole, saponin, camphor, borneol, camphene, carnosol, citronellol, coumarin, epigallocatechin gallate, eucalyptol, limonene, menthol, piperine, saponin, α-terpineol, β-pinene, and citral are the major natural compounds that have been used widely for the inhibition and destruction of Candida biofilms. These compounds suppress not only fungal adhesion and biofilm formation but also destroy mature biofilm communities of Candida. Additionally, these natural compounds interact with various cellular processes of Candida, such as ABC-transported mediated drug transport, cell cycle progression, mitochondrial activity, and ergosterol, chitin, and glucan biosynthesis. The use of various drug delivery platforms can enhance the antibiofilm efficacy of natural compounds. Therefore, these drug delivery platforms should be considered as potential candidates for coating catheters and other medical material surfaces. A future goal will be to develop natural compounds as antibiofilm agents that can be used to treat infections by multi-drug-resistant Candida biofilms. Since exact interactions of natural compounds and biofilm structures have not been elucidated, further in vitro toxicology and animal experiments are required. In this article, we have discussed various aspects of natural compound usage for inhibition and destruction of Candida biofilms, along with the methods and procedures that have been used for improving the efficacy of these compounds.

P-Coumaric Acid Reverses Depression-Like Behavior and Memory Deficit Via Inhibiting AGE-RAGE-Mediated Neuroinflammation

Depression, a mood disorder, affects one in fifteen adults, has multiple risk factors and is associated with complicated underlying pathological mechanisms. P-coumaric acid (p-CA), a phenolic acid, is widely distributed in vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. P-CA has demonstrated a protective role against oxidative stress and inflammation in various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. In the current study, we investigated the protection of p-CA against depression and memory impairment in a corticosterone (CORT)-induced chronic depressive mouse model. CORT administration resulted in depression-like behaviors and memory impairment. P-CA treatment alleviated CORT-induced depression-related behaviors and memory impairment. Network pharmacology predicted that p-CA had multiple targets and mediated various signaling pathways, of which inflammation-associated targets and signaling pathways are predominant. Western blotting showed CORT-induced activation of the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-receptor of AGE (RAGE) (AGE-RAGE) signaling and increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in the hippocampus, while p-CA treatment inactivated AGE-RAGE signaling and decreased the levels of IL-1β and TNFα, suggesting that protection against depression and memory impairment by p-CA is mediated by the inhibition of inflammation, mainly via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Our data suggest that p-CA treatment will benefit patients with depression.

Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Evaluation of a Phytochemical Intercalated into Layered Double Hydroxide

Coumaric acid (CouH), an antioxidant molecule assimilated by food consumption, was intercalated into layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocarrier, having zinc and aluminium ions in the layers (LDH-Cou), to evaluate its pharmacological activity through in vitro and in vivo assays in mice. Therefore, the following tests were performed: coumarate delivery in saline solution, fibroblasts’ cell viability using neutral red, peritonitis induced by carrageenan, formalin test, acetic-acid-induced writhing, and tail-flick assay, for the non-intercalated CouH and the intercalated LDH-Cou system. Furthermore, different pharmacological pathways were also investigated to evaluate their possible anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive mechanisms of action, in comparison to traditionally used agents (morphine, naloxone, caffeine, and indomethacin). The LDH-Cou drug delivery system showed more pronounced anti-inflammatory effect than CouH but not more than that evoked by the classic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin. For the analgesic effect, according to the tail-flick test, the treatment with LDH-Cou expressively increased the analgesia duration (p < 0.001) by approximately 1.7−1.8 times compared to CouH or indomethacin. Thus, the results pointed out that the LDH-Cou system induced in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and possibly uses similar mechanisms to that observed for classic NSAIDs, such as indomethacin.

Validation of an innovative analytical method for simultaneous quantification of curcumin and fluconazole using high-performance liquid chromatography from nanostructured lipid carriers

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a public health problem with a high incidence among female patients. Currently, there is an increase in the identification of Candida spp. resistant to current therapy, making it necessary to search for new therapeutic alternatives. The synergistic potential of curcumin with fluconazole is described in the literature. However, due to its high lipophilicity, it is necessary to use drug-delivery systems to adequately explore its potential, among which is the nanostructured lipid carrier. However, to date, there is no validated method of high-performance liquid chromatography for simultaneous determination of fluconazole and curcumin in the literature. Thus, the present work developed a high-performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous determination of fluconazole and curcumin co-encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carrier which was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) - Q2 (R1) and the Food and Drug Administration - Guidance for Bioanalytical Method. The method was applied to determine the encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading of curcumin and fluconazole in nanostructured lipid carriers. The developed method proved to be selective, precise, accurate, and robust for the simultaneous determination of both drugs, enabling the quantification of encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading of curcumin and fluconazole in nanostructured lipid carriers.