Carbon nanostructures: a comprehensive review of potential applications and toxic effects

There is no doubt that nanotechnology has revolutionized our life since the 1970s when it was first introduced. Nanomaterials have helped us to improve the current products and services we use. Among the different types of nanomaterials, the application of carbon-based nanomaterials in every aspect of our lives has rapidly grown over recent decades. This review discusses recent advances of those applications in distinct categories, including medical, industrial, and environmental applications. The first main section introduces nanomaterials, especially carbon-based nanomaterials. In the first section, we discussed medical applications, including medical biosensors, drug and gene delivery, cell and tissue labeling and imaging, tissue engineering, and the fight against bacterial and fungal infections. The next section discusses industrial applications, including agriculture, plastic, electronic, energy, and food industries. In addition, the environmental applications, including detection of air and water pollutions and removal of environmental pollutants, were vastly reviewed in the last section. In the conclusion section, we discussed challenges and future perspectives.

Exoenzyme activity and possibility identification of Candida dubliniensis among Candida albicans species isolated from vaginal candidiasis

OBJECTIVES

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) or vaginal candidiasis is a common fungal infection of the genitals causing inflammation, irritation, itching, and vaginal discharge. Common yeast infections are caused by the yeast species C. albicans. However, there are other species of Candida such as C. dubliniensis which are considered as the causative agents of this infection. Hydrolytic enzymes such as proteinase and coagulase are known as virulence factors. The aim of this study was the molecular confirmation and differentiation of C. dubliniensis among C. albicans strains isolated from women with vulvovaginal candidiasis by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and the evaluation of proteinase and coagulase activities.

METHODS

A total of 100 C. albicans strains isolated from women with vulvovaginal candidiasis referred to Shiraz medical clinics were enrolled in the study. All the isolates were primarily identified by conventional methods. PCR-RFLP method was used for the confirmation and identification of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis. Moreover, in vitro proteinase and coagulase activities of these isolates were evaluated using bovine serum albumin media and classical rabbit plasma tube test.

RESULTS

As a result, PCR-RFLP identified 100% of the isolates as C. albicans, and no C. dubliniensis could be identified in this study. 84% of the isolates showed proteinase activity, whereas coagulase activity was only detected in 5% of the isolates.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals that C. dubliniensis plays no role in vaginal candidiasis in Iranian patients. Proteinase production could be an essential virulence factor in C. albicans pathogenicity, but coagulase activity has less potential in this matter.

Resistance of Candida albicans Biofilms to Drugs and the Host Immune System

Background

Candida albicans is a commensal fungus that resides on mucosal surfaces and in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts in humans. However, it can cause an infection when the immune system of the host is impaired or if a niche becomes available. Many C. albicans infections are due to the organism’s ability to form a biofilm on implanted medical devices. A biofilm represents an optimal medium for the growth of C. albicans as it allows cells to be enclosed by a self-produced extracellular matrix (ECM).

Objectives

The present work investigated certain aspects of the resistance of C. albicans biofilms to drugs and the host immune system.

Results

An ECM was found to provide the infrastructure for biofilm formation, prevent disaggregation, and shield encapsulated C. albicans cells from antifungal drugs and the host’s immune system. By influencing FKS1 and upregulating multiple glucan modification genes, β-1, 3-glucan, an important component of ECM, was shown to be responsible for many of the biofilm’s drug-resistant properties. On being engulfed by ECM, the fungal cell was found to switch from glycolysis to gluconeogenesis. Resembling the cellular response to starvation, this was followed by the activation of the glyoxylate cycle that allowed the use of simple molecules as energy sources.

Conclusion

Mature biofilms were found to be much more resistant to antifungal agents and the host immune system than free cells. The factors responsible for high resistance included the complex architecture of biofilms, ECM, increased expression of drug efflux pumps, and metabolic plasticity.

Biofilm Formation and Susceptibility to Amphotericin B and Fluconazole in Candida albicans

Background:

The ability of Candida albicans to form biofilms and adhere to host tissues and biomaterial surfaces is an important factor in its pathogenesis. One of the main characteristics of biofilms is their resistance to broad-spectrum anti-microbial drugs.

Objectives:

In the present study the formation of biofilm by C. albicans from different sources was evaluated. In addition, the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) for two antifungals was evaluated.

Materials and Methods:

In total, 120 isolates of C. albicans from different sources (patients with vaginitis, patients with candiduria, bucal cavity and environmental surfaces) were collected. Biofilm formation was determined by the 96-well micro-titeration plate method. MBIC testing was also performed, using the calorimetric indicator resazurin for amphotericin B and fluconazole.

Results:

The results indicated that 100% of C. albicans isolates from different sources had the ability to form biofilms in vitro. Amongst these isolates, 83.3% of isolates had the maximum potential (4+) to form biofilms, while only one (0.9%) of isolates had the minimum ability (1+) to form biofilms. Our results showed that 65.0% of the tested isolates are sensitive to amphotericin B at amounts lower than 10 µg/mL, while only 26.7% are sensitive to fluconazole (had MBIC < 10 µg/mL).

Conclusions:

Although biofilm formation was detected in all tested isolates, there were differences in the ability to form biofilms between isolates from different sources. In addition, there were differences in the MBIC against the two examined antifungals, amphotericin B and fluconazole.

A simple and inexpensive device for biofilm analysis

The Calgary Biofilm Device (CBD) has been described as a technology for the rapid and reproducible assay of biofilm susceptibilities to antibiotics. In this study a simple and inexpensive alternative to the CBD was developed from polypropylene (PP) microcentrifuge tubes and pipette tip boxes. The utility of the device was demonstrated using Candida glabrata, a yeast that can develop antimicrobial-resistant biofilm communities. Biofilms of C. glabrata were formed on the outside surface of microcentrifuge tubes and examined by quantitative analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Growth of three C. glabrata strains, including a clinical isolate, demonstrated that biofilms could be formed on the microcentrifuge tubes. After 24 h incubation the three C. glabrata strains produced biofilms that were recovered into cell suspension and quantified. The method was found to produce uniform and reproducible results with no significant differences between biofilms formed on PP tubes incubated in various compartments of the device. In addition, the difference between maximum and minimum counts for each strain was comparable to those which have been reported for the CBD device.