The Anti-Virulence Effect of Vismia guianensis against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata

Elizangela Pestana Motta; Josivan Regis Farias; Arthur André Castro da Costa; Anderson França da Silva; Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes; Maria do Socorro Sousa Cartágenes; Roberto Nicolete; Afonso Gomes Abreu; Elizabeth Soares Fernandes; Flavia Raquel Fernandes Nascimento; Cláudia Quintino da Rocha; Cristina Andrade Monteiro; Rosane Nassar Meireles Guerra

doi:10.3390/antibiotics11121834

The Anti-Virulence Effect of Vismia guianensis against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata

Antibiotics (Basel). 2022 Dec 16;11(12):1834. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11121834.

Authors

Elizangela Pestana Motta^{1

2}, Josivan Regis Farias¹, Arthur André Castro da Costa¹, Anderson França da Silva¹, Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes^{3

4}, Maria do Socorro Sousa Cartágenes³, Roberto Nicolete⁵, Afonso Gomes Abreu⁶, Elizabeth Soares Fernandes^{7

8}, Flavia Raquel Fernandes Nascimento^{1

2}, Cláudia Quintino da Rocha⁹, Cristina Andrade Monteiro¹⁰, Rosane Nassar Meireles Guerra^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório de Imunofisiologia, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Avenida dos Portugueses, 1966, Ensino Integrado, Bloco 1, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil.
² Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Avenida dos Portugueses, 1966, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil.
³ Laboratório Experimental de Estudos da Dor, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil.
⁴ Instituto Federal de Ciências e Educação do Maranhão-Campus Santa Inês, Rua Castelo Branco, 1, Santa Inês 65300-000, MA, Brazil.
⁵ Fiocruz Ceará-Rua São José, S/N-Precabura, Eusébio 61773-270, CE, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratóio de Patogenicidade Microbiana, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Microbiana, Universidade UNICEUMA, Rua Josué Montelo, 1-Renascença, São Luís 65075-120, MA, Brazil.
⁷ Instituto Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Av. Silva Jardim, 1632-Água Verde, Curitiba 80250-060, PR, Brazil.
⁸ Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia Aplicada à Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Av. Iguaçú, 333-Rebouças, Curitiba 80230-020, PR, Brazil.
⁹ Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais, Centro de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil.
¹⁰ Departamento de Biologia, Instituto Federal do Maranhão, Avenida Getúlio Vargas, No 4, Monte Castelo, São Luís 65030-005, MA, Brazil.

Abstract

In folk medicine, Vismia guianensis is used to treat skin diseases and mycoses in the Amazon region. We evaluated the anti-Candida activity of the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of Vismia guianensis (EHVG). HPLC-PDA and FIA-ESI-IT-MSⁿ were used to chemically characterize EHVG. The anti-Candida activity was determined in vitro by the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Candida glabrata (ATCC-2001); Candida albicans (ATCC-90028, ATCC-14053, and ATCC-SC5314), and C. albicans clinical isolates. EHVG effects on adhesion, growth, and biofilm formation were also determined. Molecular docking was used to predict targets for EHVG compounds. The main compounds identified included anthraquinone, vismione D, kaempferol, quercetin, and vitexin. EHVG was fungicidal against all tested strains. C. albicans ATCC 14053 and C. glabrata ATCC 2001 were the most sensitive strains, as the extract inhibited their virulence factors. In silico analysis indicated that vismione D presented the best antifungal activity, since it was the most effective in inhibiting CaCYP51, and may act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, according to the online PASS prediction. Overall, the data demonstrate that EHVG has an anti-Candida effect by inhibiting virulence factors of the fungi. This activity may be related to its vismione D content, indicating this compound may represent a new perspective for treating diseases caused by Candida sp.

Keywords: CaCYP51; Candida albicans; Candida glabrata; Vismia guianensis; antifungals; lacre; vismione D.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by FAPEMA (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Maranhão)—Project NATUMED proc. No IECT-02885/17 as part of State Institute of Research in Biotechnology; CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento e Tecnológico) and CAPES (Financial code 01).