IN VITRO ANTI-CANDIDA ACTIVITY OF ELLAGIC ACID

INTRODUCTION: The fungus Candida albicans is present in the microbiota of most healthy hosts and is also the human fungal pathogen that most causes human infections, ranging from superficial to systemic. The ability to alter its morphology between the yeast-hypha transition, biofilm production on medical device surfaces, drug resistance, along with the scarcity of antifungal classes makes C. albicans infection a health problem that causes high morbidity and mortality. Biofilm acts as a protective barrier, making microbial cells more resistant to conventional antifungal therapy and the immune system. Therefore, there is a need for therapeutic alternatives that also act on the C. albicans biofilm. Ellagic acid (EA) is a phenolic compound derived from gallic acid that has already been reported to have antimicrobial activity, but its antifungal and antivirulence activity against C. albicans needs to be investigated. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the action of ellagic acid against the virulence of C. albicans of clinical interest. METHODOLOGY: The C. albicans ATCC 90028 strain and a clinical isolate C. albicans CA08 from sputum were used, belonging to the culture collections of the Basic and Applied Immunology Center – NIBA of the Federal University of Maranhão - UFMA and the Research Laboratory in Microbiology, Bioprospecting and Biotechnology – LPBIOTEC from the Federal Institute of Maranhão - IFMA. The in vitro antivirulence activities of AE, alone and in combination with fluconazole (FLZ), were determined by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests using the broth microdilution method, by the in vitro interaction test carried out using the Checkerboard assay, biofilm and hyphae formation. Statistical analysis was determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test in GraphPad Prism® with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: AE showed antifungal activity against C. albicans ATCC 90028 and C. albicans CA08. Furthermore, AE potentiated FLZ with additive and synergistic interactions, respectively, and stopped the formation of hyphae and biofilm by these fungi. CONCLUSION: The data highlight the antivirulence activity of AE and its potential to be used as therapy in combination with FLZ.