Potent antifungal properties of gallic acid in Sarcochlamys pulcherrima against Candida auris

Abstract

Candida auris is a major public health concern due to its high transmission and mortality rates, as well as the emergence of pan-resistant strains. This study aimed to identify an antifungal compound from Sarcochlamys pulcherrima , an ethnomedicinal plant, that can inhibit the growth of C. auris . Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of the plant were obtained, and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis was conducted to identify the major compounds in the extracts. The major compound detected by HPTLC was subjected to in vitro antifungal activity testing, and its antifungal mechanism was determined. The plant extracts inhibited the growth of both C. auris and Candida albicans . HPTLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid in the leaf extract. Furthermore, the in vitro antifungal assay showed that gallic acid inhibited the growth of different C. auris strains. In silico studies indicated that gallic acid can bind to the active sites of carbonic anhydrase (CA) proteins in both C. auris and C. albicans , affecting their catalytic activities. Compounds that target virulent proteins such as CA can aid in the reduction of drug-resistant fungi and the development of novel antifungal compounds with unique modes of action. However, additional in vivo and clinical studies are required to conclusively determine gallic acid’s antifungal properties. Gallic acid derivatives may be developed in the future to possess more potent antifungal properties and target various pathogenic fungi.

Impact of bacterial volatiles on the plant growth attributes and defense mechanism of rice seedling

“…Few studies reported that, 3-pentanol and 6-pentyl-α-pyron volatiles produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain IN937a and Trichoderma, respectively, induce systemic resistance via modulation of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways resulting in reduction of phytopathogenic attack in pepper and Arabidopsis thaliana [ 44 , 45 ]. Many phenols such as gallic acid were reported to protect plant from fungal pathogen by degrading fugal chitin by enhancing the activities of chitinases and peroxidases [ 46 , 47 ]. From aforementioned reports, it was clear that our finding of increased level of phenols in volatiles treated plants was indication of elevated defense response against fungal pathogens.…”