Anti-Biofilm Strategies: How to Eradicate Candida Biofilms?

Abstract

In nature, microorganisms prefer to reside in structured microbial communities, termed biofilms, rather than as free-floating planktonic cells. Advantageous for the microorganisms, but disadvantageous for human health, is the increased resistance/tolerance of the biofilm cells to antimicrobial treatment. In clinically relevant biofilms, Candida albicans is one of the most frequently isolated microorganisms in biofilms. This review primarily elaborates on the activity of the currently used antimycotics against Candida biofilms, the potential of antifungal lock therapy and sheds more light on new promising compounds resulting from the gradual shift of anti-biofilm research activities to natural products, plants and their extracts.

New pharmacological properties of Medicago sativa and Saponaria officinalis saponin-rich fractions addressed to Candida albicans

“…Meanwhile, the availability of well-established pharmaceutics is greatly reduced due to the rapidly growing number of multidrugresistant strains. The current paradigm in the discovery of novel promising antimicrobial therapeutics postulates their targeting to microbial virulence factors/abilities rather than direct biocidal activity (Bink et al, 2011;Chevalier et al, 2012;Gauwerky et al, 2009;Naicker & Patel, 2013;Rajeshkumar & Sundararaman, 2012). The antifungal potential of tested SFs from plant extracts seems to fulfil these needs.…”

“…A number of factors contribute to the higher resistance of microbial biofilm to environmental stress conditions, including chemotherapeutics and host immune response, thus making biofilm an important aetiological agent of human disease. The reasons for this increased resistance must be sought primarily in the specific structure and unique physiology of this community, and the case of C. albicans biofilm in particular involves various morphological yeast forms and mixed bacterial-fungal biofilms, which are much more difficult to diagnose and treat (Bhattacharyya et al, 2013;Bink et al, 2011;Kabir et al, 2012;Mathé & van Dijck, 2013;Sardi et al, 2013).…”

“…A number of factors contribute to the higher resistance of microbial biofilm to environmental stress conditions, including chemotherapeutics and host immune response, thus making biofilm an important aetiological agent of human disease. The reasons for this increased resistance must be sought primarily in the specific structure and unique physiology of this community, and the case of C. albicans biofilm in particular involves various morphological yeast forms and mixed bacterial-fungal biofilms, which are much more difficult to diagnose and treat (Bhattacharyya et al, 2013;Bink et al, 2011;Kabir et al, 2012;Mathé & van Dijck, 2013;Sardi et al, 2013).Relatively few antimycotic groups have been identified, including polyenes, azoles, echinocandins, allylamines and 5-flucytosine (Kabir & Ahmad, 2013; Pemán et al, 2009;Rajeshkumar & Sundararaman, 2012). Furthermore, the growing resistance of C. albicans and other Candida species to antifungal compounds and the participation of their biofilms in the development of pathological lesions have led to an urgent need to develop alternative therapy.…”

Synergistic Activity of the Tyrocidines, Antimicrobial Cyclodecapeptides from Bacillus aneurinolyticus, with Amphotericin B and Caspofungin against Candida albicans Biofilms

“…This increase in the number of immunocompromised individuals results, for example, from immunosuppression treatment of patients during transplant surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy and the HIV epidemic correlating to AIDS in HIV-infected individuals (1,5,7). Candida species are major causative agents of nosocomial infections in compromised individuals (8,9). Candida albicans, which predominantly forms biofilms on biotic surfaces (such as vaginal and oral mucosa [10]) and abiotic surfaces (such as indwelling catheters [11]), is one of the most commonly isolated species from patients with nosocomial infections (5,8,9,12).…”

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“…Their name is derived from Latin word "sapo" meaning soap, due to their surfactant properties which allows forming stable soap-like foam upon shaking in aqueous solution. 4 They have many medicinal uses including, microbial, anti-tumor, anti-insect 6 hepatoprotective, haemolytic 7 , and anti-inflammatory activities. They also decrees blood cholesterol level and may be used as adjuvant in vaccines.…”