title: Assessment of plant lectin antifungal potential against yeasts of major importance in medical mycology.
abstract: The search for new compounds with antifungal activity is accelerating due to rising yeast and fungal resistance to commonly prescribed drugs. Among the molecules being investigated, plant lectins can be highlighted. The present work shows the potential of six plant lectins which were tested in vitro against yeasts of medical importance, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Cryptococcus gattii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Malassezia pachydermatis, Rhodotorula sp. and Trichosporon sp. Broth microdilution susceptibility testing was performed in accordance with standard protocols to evaluate antifungal activity. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined at 80% yeast growth inhibition, whereas the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was evaluated after making the subcultures of each dilution. Only C. parapsilosis growth was inhibited by the lectins tested. Abelmoschus esculentus lectin showed the highest MIC (0.97 μg ml(-1)). Lectins from Canavalia brasiliensis, Mucuna pruriens and Clitoria fairchildiana presented the highest MFC at (3.90 μg ml(-1)). These results encourage further studies with wider yeast strain selections, and open new perspectives for the development of pharmacological molecules.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão, CP 354, Pelotas city, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brazil. gabrielklafke@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Gabriel Baracy
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Klafke
authors.forename: Gustavo Marçal Schmitt Garcia
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Leonardo Garcia
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.forename: Juliano Lacava
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Tchana Martinez
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Brandolt
authors.forename: Melissa Orzechowski
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Tatiane
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santi-Gadelha
authors.forename: Odir Antonio
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Dellagostin
authors.forename: Luciano da Silva
authors.initials: Lda S
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D037102:Lectins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D037102:Lectins