ABSTRACT Background: Sporotrichosis, a cosmopolitan mycosis caused by dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix complex, affects humans and animals. This study aimed to develop new molecular markers for Sporothrix genome detection in biological samples using PCR. Methods: A specific region of DNA sequences from the Sporothrix genus, publicly available in GenBank, was chosen for primer design. After testing the in silico specificity of these primers, in vitro specificity was evaluated using the PCR technique. Results: Three specific primers with 100% specificity for the Sporothrix genus were generated. Conclusions: PCR using the designed primers can be used to develop molecular diagnostics for sporotrichosis.

BACKGROUND Opportunistic pathogenic yeast species are frequently associated with water habitats that have pollution sources of human or animal origin. Candida albicans has already been suggested as a faecal indicator microorganism for aquatic environments. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. albicans and other opportunistic yeasts in sand and seawater samples from beaches in Brazil to assess their correlation with Escherichia coli, and to characterise the pathogenic potential of the yeast isolates. METHODS Opportunistic species (yeasts that grow at 37ºC) were isolated from sand and seawater samples from eight beaches in Brazil during the summer and the winter. Opportunistic yeast species were evaluated for their susceptibility to antifungal drugs, virulence factors, and the in vitro and in vivo biofilm formation. Strains were selected to carry out virulence tests using BALB/c mice. FINDINGS Several water samples could be classified as inappropriate for primary contact recreation in relation to E. coli densities. C. albicans was isolated in low densities. Of the 144 opportunistic yeasts evaluated, 61% displayed resistance or dose-dependent sensitivity to at least one tested drug, and 40% produced proteinase. Strains of C. albicans and Kodamaea ohmeri exhibited the highest rates of adhesion to buccal epithelial cells. All the C. albicans strains that were tested were able to undergo morphogenesis and form a biofilm on catheter fragments in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. It was possible to confirm the pathogenic potential of three of these strains during the disseminated infection test. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The identification of opportunistic yeast species in seawater and sand samples from Brazilian beaches suggest a potential risk to the health of people who use these environments for recreational purposes.

Resumo Os sorvetes à base de frutas são produtos amplamente consumidos em países tropicais e, devido à sua composição, podem ser uma boa fonte de crescimento microbiano, incluindo patógenos oportunistas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram caracterizar as populações de leveduras presentes nos sorvetes brasileiros à base de frutas e investigar sua susceptibilidade aos antifúngicos anfotericina B, fluconazol e itraconazol, e a capacidade dos isolados, que puderam crescer a 37 °C, de aderir em células epiteliais bucais. Duzentos e sessenta e sete isolados de levedura obtidos das amostras de sorvete foram identificados como pertencentes a 29 espécies, com contagens variando de 1,5 a 5,2 log UFC/mL. As espécies predominantes foram Candida intermedia, Torulaspora delbrueckii, C. parapsilosis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae e Pichia kudriavzevii. Pelo menos 16 espécies de leveduras isoladas neste estudo foram relatadas como agentes patogênicos oportunistas. Quarenta e um isolados de leveduras apresentaram resistência ou susceptibilidade dose-dependente a pelo menos um dos antifúngicos testados. Um isolado de C. parapsilosis foi resistente a todos os antifúngicos testados e mostrou capacidade de aderir a células epiteliais bucais. A porcentagem de adesão foi alta principalmente para isolados de P. kudriavzevii, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis, S. cerevisiae e Debaromyces hansenii. Os dados sugerem que a presença dessas leveduras oportunistas como contaminantes nos sorvetes pode representar um risco para o consumidor final, especialmente para indivíduos imunocomprometidos que podem consumir esses produtos.

Abstract Fruit-based ice creams are products widely consumed in tropical countries and, because of their composition, can be a good source for microbial growth, including opportunistic pathogens. The aims of this study were to characterize the yeast populations present in Brazilian fruit-based ice creams, and to investigate the antifungal susceptibility to amphotericin B, fluconazole and itraconazole, and the ability of the isolates that were able to grow at 37 ºC to adhere to buccal epithelial cells (BEC). Two hundred and sixty-seven yeast isolates obtained from the ice cream samples were identified as belonging to 29 species, with counts that ranged from 1.5 to 5.2 log CFU/mL. The predominant species were Candida intermedia, Torulaspora delbrueckii, C. parapsilosis, Clavispora lusitaniae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kudriavzevii. At least 16 yeast species isolated in this study have been reported as opportunistic pathogens. Forty-one yeast isolates showed resistance or dose-dependent susceptibility to at least one of the antifungal drugs tested. One isolate of C. parapsilosis was resistant to all the antifungals tested and showed ability to adhere to BEC. The percentage of adhesion to BEC was high mainly for isolates of P. kudriavzevii, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis, S. cerevisiae and Debaromyces hansenii. The data suggest that the presence of these opportunistic yeasts as contaminants in ice creams may represent a potential risk to the final consumer, especially to immunocompromised individuals who may consume these products.

ABSTRACT Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were obtained from vegetable oils of soybean, corn and sunflower. The current study was focused on evaluating the antifungal activity of FAMEs mainly against Paracoccidioides spp., as well as testing the interaction of these compounds with commercial antifungal drugs and also their antioxidant potential. FAMEs presented small IC50 values (1.86-9.42 μg/mL). All three FAMEs tested showed antifungal activity against isolates of Paracoccidioides spp. with MIC values ranging from 15.6-500 µg/mL. Sunflower FAMEs exhibited antifungal activity that extended also to other genera, with an MIC of 15.6 μg/mL against Candida glabrata and C. krusei and 31.2 μg/mL against C. parapsilosis. FAMEs exhibited a synergetic effect with itraconazole. The antifungal activity of the FAMEs against isolates of Paracoccidioides spp. is likely due to the presence of methyl linoleate, the major compound present in all three FAMEs. The results obtained indicate the potential of FAMEs as sources for antifungal and antioxidant activity.

Fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides are responsible for paracoccidioidomycosis. The occurrence of drug toxicity and relapse in this disease justify the development of new antifungal agents. Compounds extracted from fungal extract have showing antifungal activity. Extracts of 78 fungi isolated from rocks of the Atacama Desert were tested in a microdilution assay against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Pb18. Approximately 18% (5) of the extracts showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values≤ 125.0 µg/mL. Among these, extract from the fungus UFMGCB 8030 demonstrated the best results, with an MIC of 15.6 µg/mL. This isolate was identified as Aspergillus felis (by macro and micromorphologies, and internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, and ribosomal polymerase II gene analyses) and was grown in five different culture media and extracted with various solvents to optimise its antifungal activity. Potato dextrose agar culture and dichloromethane extraction resulted in an MIC of 1.9 µg/mL against P. brasiliensis and did not show cytotoxicity at the concentrations tested in normal mammalian cell (Vero). This extract was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation using analytical C18RP-high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and an antifungal assay using P. brasiliensis. Analysis of the active fractions by HPLC-high resolution mass spectrometry allowed us to identify the antifungal agents present in the A. felis extracts cytochalasins. These results reveal the potential of A. felis as a producer of bioactive compounds with antifungal activity.

Annona cornifolia A. St. -Hil. é uma pequena árvore anual perene encontrada no cerrado brasileiro; seu fruto verde é usado popularmente no tratamento de úlceras. As acetogeninas isoladas a partir das sementes de Annona cornifolia anteriormente apresentaram atividade antioxidante. Continuando as nossas investigações sobre as atividades biológicas das acetogeninas, quatro misturas binárias e dez acetogeninas bis-tetra-hidrofurânicas adjacentes puras foram avaliadas quanto às atividades: citotóxica (sobre três linhagens de células tumorais humanas), antifúngica (sobre Paracoccidioides brasiliensis), tripanocida (sobre Trypanosoma cruzi) e leishmanicida (sobre Leishmania amazonensis). As acetogeninas apresentaram atividade citotóxica, confirmando seu uso potencial na terapia anticâncer. Quanto às atividades leishmanicida e tripanocida, foi observada uma inibição de 87% das formas amastigotas de L. amazonensis e 100% de formas amastigotas e tripomastigotas de T. cruzi, quando testadas a uma concentração de 20 µg mL–1. Além disso, seis acetogeninas mostraram maior atividade sobre todas as três cepas testadas de P. brasiliensis que o trimetoprim-sulfametoxazol, um medicamento usado no tratamento da paracoccidioidomicose. Assim, as acetogeninas podem ser uma alternativa no tratamento de uma série de doenças que têm um enorme impacto em milhões de pessoas no mundo. Este trabalho relata pela primeira as atividades antifúngica, leishmanicida e tripanocida para estas acetogeninas.

Annona cornifolia A. St. -Hil. is a small annual perennial tree found in the Brazilian savannah; their green fruit is popularly used in the treatment of ulcers. The acetogenins isolated from the seeds of Annona cornifolia previously showed to possess antioxidant activity. In continuation of our investigations on the biological activities of acetogenins, four binary mixtures and ten pure adjacent bis-tetrahydrofuran annonaceous acetogenins were evaluated: the cytotoxic (against three human tumor cell lines), antifungal (against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis), trypanocidal (against Trypanosoma cruzi) and leishmanicidal (against Leishmania amazonensis) activities. Acetogenins presented cytotoxic activity confirming their potential use in anti-cancer therapy. Regarding leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activities, an inhibition of 87% of L. amazonensis amastigotes and 100% of T. cruzi amastigotes and trypomastigotes was observed, when tested at the concentration of 20 µg mL–1. Moreover, six acetogenins showed more activity against all the three tested isolates of P. brasiliensis than trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, a drug used for treating paracoccidioidomycosis. Thus, acetogenins may be an alternative in treating a number of diseases that have a huge impact on millions of people worldwide. This paper reports for the first time the antifungal, leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activities for these acetogenins.

Introduction There are few studies reporting the antifungal activities of Lippia alba extracts. Methods A broth microdilution assay was used to evaluate the antifungal effects of Lippia alba extracts against seven yeast species of Candida and Cryptococcus. The butanol fraction was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results The butanol fraction showed the highest activity against Candida glabrata. The fraction also acted synergistically with itraconazole and fluconazole against C. glabrata. The dominant compounds in the butanol fraction were 2,2,5-trimethyl-3,4-hexanedione, 3,5-dimethyl-4-octanone and hexadecane. Conclusions The butanol fraction may be a good candidate in the search for new drugs from natural products with antifungal activity.

Lapachol was chemically modified to obtain its thiosemicarbazone and semicarbazone derivatives. These compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against several bacteria and fungi by the broth microdilution method. The thiosemicarbazone and semicarbazone derivatives of lapachol exhibited antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.05 and 0.10 µmol/mL, respectively. The thiosemicarbazone and semicarbazone derivatives were also active against the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus gattii (MICs of 0.10 and 0.20 µmol/mL, respectively). In addition, the lapachol thiosemicarbazone derivative was active against 11 clinical isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, with MICs ranging from 0.01-0.10 µmol/mL. The lapachol-derived thiosemicarbazone was not cytotoxic to normal cells at the concentrations that were active against fungi and bacteria. We synthesised, for the first time, thiosemicarbazone and semicarbazone derivatives of lapachol. The MICs for the lapachol-derived thiosemicarbazone against S. aureus, E. faecalis, C. gattii and several isolates of P. brasiliensis indicated that this compound has the potential to be developed into novel drugs to treat infections caused these microbes.

INTRODUÇÃO: Os ácidos graxos são abundantes em óleos vegetais. Eles são conhecidos por suas propriedades antibacterianas e antifúngicas. MÉTODOS: A suscetibilidade a antifúngicos foi avaliada pelo ensaio de microdiluição em caldo de acordo com CLSI (anteriormente NCCLS) sobre 16 isolados de interesse clínico. RESULTADOS: Nesse trabalho, os ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos (FAME) inibiram doze isolados clínicos do fungo patogênico Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, e também foi muito ativo no ensaio de bioautografia sobre o fungo Cladosporium sphaerospermum. CONCLUSÕES: FAME foi um antifúngico mais potente do que sulfametoxazol-trimetoprim contra P. brasiliensis, nas condições utilizadas no presente trabalho.

INTRODUCTION: Fatty acids are abundant in vegetable oils. They are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. METHODS: Antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by broth microdilution assay following CLSI (formerly the NCCLS) guidelines against 16 fungal strains of clinical interest. RESULTS: In this work, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was able to inhibit 12 clinical strains of the pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and were also active in the bioautographic assay against Cladosporium sphaerospermum. CONCLUSIONS: FAME was a more potent antifungal than trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole against P. brasiliensis under the experimental conditions tested.

Crude extracts and fractions of five species of Polygala - P. campestris, P. cyparissias, P. paniculata, P. pulchella and P. sabulosa - were investigated for their in vitro antifungal activity against opportunistic Candida species, Cryptococcus gattii and Sporothrix schenckii with bioautographic and microdilution assays. In the bioautographic assays, the major extracts were active against the fungi tested. In the minimal concentration inhibitory (MIC) assay, the hexane extract of P. paniculata and EtOAc fraction of P. sabulosa showed the best antifungal activity, with MIC values of 60 and 30 µg/mL, respectively, against C. tropicalis, C. gattii and S. schenckii. The compounds isolated from P. sabulosa prenyloxycoumarin and 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexanehexol displayed antifungal activity against S. schenckii (with MICs of 125 µg/mL and 250 µg/mL, respectively) and C. gattii (both with MICs of 250 µg/mL). Rutin and aurapten isolated from P. paniculata showed antifungal activity against C. gattii with MIC values of 60 and 250 µg/mL, respectively. In the antifungal screening, few of the isolated compounds showed good antifungal inhibition. The compound α-spinasterol showed broad activity against the species tested, while rutin had the best activity with the lowest MIC values for the microorganisms tested. These two compounds may be chemically modified by the introduction of a substitute group that would alter several physico-chemical properties of the molecule, such as hydrophobicity, electronic density and steric strain.

Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth) O. Berg, Myrtaceae, is an endemic species that occurs at Southern America. This species was studied to intend to isolation of the active compounds that could be used in vitro model against leishmaniosis, tumoral cell and paracoccidioidomycosis. After Gel Permeation Chromatography, the ethanolic extract from leaves yielded sixteen fractions. Five compounds were isolated and assayed, showing activity against tumoral cells, from 3.33 to 12.83 µg.mL-1; Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis from 2.19 to 20.80 µg.mL-1 and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from 3.10 to 12.5 µg.mL-1.

Organic extracts from leaves and stems of Stillingia oppositifolia Baill. ex Müll. Arg., Euphorbiaceae, were screened for antifungal and cytotoxic properties. The extracts presented Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values around 250 µg.mL-1 against Candida krusei and Candida tropicalis, and around 63 µg.mL-1 for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. They were tested on three human cell lines (UACC-62, MCF-7, and TK-10), disclosing GI50 values, (concentration able to inhibit 50% of the cell growth) ranging from 50 to 100 µg.mL-1. Organic extract from stems furnished hexanic, dichloromethanic and aqueous phases after partition. Chromatographic fractionation of the hexanic soluble phase of the stems yielded aleuritolic acid 3-acetate, β-sitosterol, 3-epi-β-amyrin, β-amyrone and palmitic acid. These compounds showed antifungal and cytotoxic activities in the same range as the organic crude extract and low toxic effect against mononuclear cells obtained from human peripheral blood. This is the first report on chemical and biological potential of S. oppositifolia.

A propriedade antifúngica de extratos de oito plantas utilizadas na medicina tradicional brasileira foi testada contra cinco espécies de Candida, com relevância clínica, Cryptococcus neoformans e Sporothrix schenckii. Os resultados mostraram que todos os extratos exibiram atividade antifúngica contra pelo menos um dos microrganismos testados. O extrato etanólico das folhas de Schinus terebinthifolius apresentou potencial atividade antifúngica contra C. glabrata e S. schenckii. Na análise fitoquímica preliminar dos extratos de S. terebinthifolius observou-se a presença de compostos biologicamente ativos como, flavonóides, triterpenos, esteróides e taninos.

Antifungal properties of extracts from eight Brazilian plants traditionally used in popular Brazilian medicine were tested against five clinically relevant Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Sporothrix schenckii. Results demonstrate that almost all extracts exhibited antifungal activity, at least against one of the microorganisms tested. The ethanolic extract from the leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius exhibited potential antifungal activity against C. glabrata and S. schenckii. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of extract from S. terebinthifolius showed the presence of biologically active compounds, namely saponins, flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids and tannins.

Antibacterial and antifungal properties of wax and hexane extracts of Citrus spp. peels were tested using bioautographic and microdilution techniques against three plant pathogenic fungi (Penicillium digitatum, Curvularia sp., and Colletotrichum sp.), two human pathogens (Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis), and two opportunistic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Two polymethoxylated flavonoids and a coumarin derivative, were isolated and identified from peel extracts, which presented antimicrobial activity especially against M. canis and T. mentagrophytes: 4',5,6,7,8-pentamethoxyflavone (tangeritin) and 3',4',5,6,7,8-hexamethoxyflavone (nobiletin) from C. reticulata; and 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (also known as escoparone, scoparone or scoparin) from C. limon.

Os flavonóis 8-hidroxi-3, 4', 5, 6, 7-pentametoxiflavona (1) e 8-hidroxi-3, 3', 4', 5, 6, 7-hexametoxiflavona (2) foram isolados em mistura a partir de uma amostra comercial de Citrus aurantifolia. A determinação estrutural e a inequívoca atribuição dos sinais de deslocamento químico dos átomos de hidrogênio e carbono destes compostos naturais foram realizadas através da análise dos espectros de RMN 1D e 2D, incluindo COSY, NOESY, HMQC e HMBC. Em adição, a atividade antifúngica destes compostos contra fungos patogênicos também foiinvestigada.

A mixture of the two new flavonols 8-hydroxy-3, 4', 5, 6, 7-pentamethoxyflavone (1) and 8-hydroxy-3, 3', 4', 5, 6, 7-hexamethoxyflavone (2) was isolated from a commercial sample of Citrus aurantifolia. An array of one- (¹HNMR, {¹H}-13C NMR, and APT-13C NMR) and two-dimensional NMR techniques (COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC) was used to achieve the structural elucidation and the complete ¹H and 13C chemical shift assignments of these natural compounds. In addition, the antifungal activity of these compounds against phytopathogenic and human pathogenic fungi was investigated.