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Sturabotti E, Camilli A, Georgian Moldoveanu V, Bonincontro G, Simonetti G, Valletta A, Serangeli I, Miranda E, Amato F, Giacomo Marrani A, Migneco LM, Sennato S, Simonis B, Vetica F, Leonelli F. Targeting the Antifungal Activity of Carbon Dots against Candida albicans Biofilm Formation by Tailoring Their Surface Functional Groups. Chemistry 2023:e202303631. [PMID: 38059669 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) are an emerging class of carbon nanoparticles, which for their characteristics have found applications in many fields such as catalysis, materials and biomedicine. Within this context, the application of CDs as antibacterial agents has received much attention in very recent years, while their use as antifungal nanoparticles has been scarcely investigated. Here we report a systematic investigation of the surface functional groups of CDs to study their influence on these nanoparticles' against Candida albicans. Three classes of CDs have been synthesised and fully characterized. A thorough in vitro and in vivo biological screening against C. albicans was performed to test their antifungal, antiadhesion and antibiofilm formation activities. Moreover, the interaction with C. albicans cells was investigated by microscopic analysis. Our results evidence how the presence of a positively polarised surface results crucial for the internalization into COS-7 cells. Positively charged nanoparticles were also able to inhibit adhesion and biofilm formation, to interact with the cellular membrane of C. albicans, and to increase the survival of G. mellonella infected larvae after the injection with positive nanoparticles. The antifungal activity of CDs and their extremely low toxicity may represent a new strategy to combat infections sustained by C.albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Sturabotti
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Alessandro Camilli
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Vyali Georgian Moldoveanu
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Graziana Bonincontro
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Simonetti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Valletta
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Serangeli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Miranda
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Amato
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Andrea Giacomo Marrani
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Luisa Maria Migneco
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Simona Sennato
- CNR-Institute of Complex Systems (ISC)- Sede Sapienza c/o Physics Department, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Simonis
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
- Institute for Biological Systems (ISB), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Sede secondaria di Roma - Meccanismi di Reazione, c/o Dipartimento di Chimica, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Vetica
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
| | - Francesca Leonelli
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy, URL
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Paseo de Miramón 194, Donostia-San Sebastián, 20014, Spain
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Imperia E, Bonincontro G, Altomare A, Simonetti G, Gherardi G, Brasili E, Badiali C, Bove M, Pasqua G, De Gara L, Cicala M, Guarino MPL. Review Article title: Natural Compounds with Antimicrobial Activities in oral Candida infections during head and neck radiotherapy. Chemotherapy 2023:000534562. [PMID: 37963442 DOI: 10.1159/000534562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Oral colonization and infections are frequently observed in patients during and soon after radiation therapy (RT). Infective mucositis is a common side effect associated with cancer therapy, characterized by an inflammation of the oral mucous membranes with histological mucosal and submucosal changes. Ulcerative mucositis is responsible for significant pain, impairing the patient's nutritional intake and leading to local or systemic infections promoting mycosis due to several species of the genus Candida. According to international guidelines, treatment of candidiasis depends on the infection site and patient's condition. SUMMARY Recently several studies have shown the protective role of natural compounds counteracting the activity of Candida biofilms. The aim of this review is to discuss the antimicrobial activities of natural compounds in fungal infections, especially Candida spp., during and soon after radiotherapy. Indeed new molecules are being discovered and assessed for their capacity to control Candida spp. growth and, probably in the future, will be used to treat oral candidiasis, overall, during radiotherapy. This review reports several preliminary data about preclinical and clinical evidence of their efficacy in the prevention and/or treatment of mucositis due to Radiotherapy with a brief description of the natural compounds with anti-Candida activities. KEY MESSAGES The increase in the resistance to the available antifungal drugs related to Candida spp. infections increased as well as drug interactions, urging the development of innovative and more effective agents with antifungal action. Recent preclinical and clinical studies are identifying natural substances with anti-inflammatory and antifungal activity that could be tested in the prevention of candidiasis in patients undergoing radiotherapy. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary data.
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Nicolosi RM, Bonincontro G, Imperia E, Badiali C, De Vita D, Sciubba F, Dugo L, Guarino MPL, Altomare A, Simonetti G, Pasqua G. Protective Effect of Procyanidin-Rich Grape Seed Extract against Gram-Negative Virulence Factors. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1615. [PMID: 37998817 PMCID: PMC10668874 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12111615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Grape seeds, wine industry by-products, have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. In the present study, the protective effect of procyanidin-rich grape seed extract (prGSE), from unfermented pomace of Vitis vinifera L. cv Bellone, on bacterial LPS-induced oxidative stress and epithelial barrier integrity damage has been studied in a model of Caco-2 cells. The prGSE was characterized at the molecular level using HPLC and NMR. The in vitro activity of prGSE against formation of biofilm of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli was investigated. In vivo, prGSE activity using infected Galleria mellonella larvae has been evaluated. The results show that the prGSE, if administered with LPS, can significantly reduce the LPS-induced permeability alteration. Moreover, the ability of the extract to prevent Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production induced by the LPS treatment of Caco-2 cells was demonstrated. prGSE inhibited the biofilm formation of E. coli and S. Typhimurium. In terms of in vivo activity, an increase in survival of infected G. mellonella larvae after treatment with prGSE was demonstrated. In conclusion, grape seed extracts could be used to reduce GI damage caused by bacterial endotoxin and biofilms of Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Maria Nicolosi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Graziana Bonincontro
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Elena Imperia
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; (E.I.); (L.D.)
| | - Camilla Badiali
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Daniela De Vita
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Fabio Sciubba
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Dugo
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; (E.I.); (L.D.)
| | - Michele Pier Luca Guarino
- Research Unit of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy;
- Operative Research Unit of Gastroenterology, University Policlinico Foundation Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Annamaria Altomare
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; (E.I.); (L.D.)
- Research Unit of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy;
| | - Giovanna Simonetti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
| | - Gabriella Pasqua
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (R.M.N.); (G.B.); (C.B.); (D.D.V.); (F.S.); (G.P.)
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Bonincontro G, Scuderi SA, Marino A, Simonetti G. Synergistic Effect of Plant Compounds in Combination with Conventional Antimicrobials against Biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida spp. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1531. [PMID: 38004397 PMCID: PMC10675371 DOI: 10.3390/ph16111531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial and fungal biofilm has increased antibiotic resistance and plays an essential role in many persistent diseases. Biofilm-associated chronic infections are difficult to treat and reduce the efficacy of medical devices. This global problem has prompted extensive research to find alternative strategies to fight microbial chronic infections. Plant bioactive metabolites with antibiofilm activity are known to be potential resources to alleviate this problem. The phytochemical screening of some medicinal plants showed different active groups, such as stilbenes, tannins, alkaloids, terpenes, polyphenolics, flavonoids, lignans, quinones, and coumarins. Synergistic effects can be observed in the interaction between plant compounds and conventional drugs. This review analyses and summarises the current knowledge on the synergistic effects of plant metabolites in combination with conventional antimicrobials against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The synergism of conventional antimicrobials with plant compounds can modify and inhibit the mechanisms of acquired resistance, reduce undesirable effects, and obtain an appropriate therapeutic effect at lower doses. A deeper knowledge of these combinations and of their possible antibiofilm targets is needed to develop next-generation novel antimicrobials and/or improve current antimicrobials to fight drug-resistant infections attributed to biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziana Bonincontro
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy;
| | - Sarah Adriana Scuderi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98100 Messina, Italy;
| | - Andreana Marino
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98100 Messina, Italy;
| | - Giovanna Simonetti
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy;
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Carradori S, Ammazzalorso A, De Filippis B, Şahin AF, Akdemir A, Orekhova A, Bonincontro G, Simonetti G. Azole-Based Compounds That Are Active against Candida Biofilm: In Vitro , In Vivo and In Silico Studies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101375. [PMID: 36290033 PMCID: PMC9598150 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens, including Candida spp., Aspergillus spp. and dermatophytes, cause more than a billion human infections every year. A large library of imidazole- and triazole-based compounds were in vitro screened for their antifungal activity against C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, A. fumigatus and dermatophytes, such as Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The imidazole carbamate 12 emerged as the most active compound, showing a valuable antifungal activity against C. glabrata (MIC 1−16 μg/mL) and C. krusei (MIC 4−24 μg/mL). No activity against A. fumigatus or the dermatophytes was observed among all the tested compounds. The compound 12 inhibited the formation of C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei biofilms and reduced the mature Candida biofilm. In the Galleria mellonella larvae, 12 showed a significant reduction in the Candida infection, together with a lack of toxicity at the concentration used to activate its antifungal activity. Moreover, the in silico prediction of the putative targets revealed that the concurrent presence of the imidazole core, the carbamate and the p-chlorophenyl is important for providing a strong affinity for lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CgCYP51a1) and the fungal carbonic anhydrase (CgNce103), the S-enantiomer being more productive in these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Carradori
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Alessandra Ammazzalorso
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Barbara De Filippis
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Ahmet Fatih Şahin
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Atilla Akdemir
- Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34093 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Anastasia Orekhova
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Graziana Bonincontro
- Department of Environmental Biology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Simonetti
- Department of Environmental Biology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
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