Effect of Gallic and Ferulic Acids on Oxidative Phosphorylation on Candida albicans (spp A27 and SC5314) During the Yeast-to-Hyphae Transition

Abstract

Candida albicans is a dormant commensal in the mucosa of healthy individuals but can become an opportunistic pathogen when the host microflora is compromised. It has been reported the most common cause of fungal infection among hospitalized U.S. patients, with elevated mortality rate. Candida species has been reported as resistant to antifungal drugs that increase the application of novel strategies to treat this infection. One of most natural compounds is phenolic that have gained attention as potential agents against fungi. C. albicans which has the ability to switch phenotype from yeast-to-hyphae cells, the most invasive form; therefore, therapies aiming to impair this morphologic transition can be promising against this fungus. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of isolate phenols to prevent the yeast-to-hyphae transition of C. albicans by modulating the activity of the enzyme complexes involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Also, C. albicain species (SC5314 and A27) were significantly differently when it response to the OXPHOS respiration even though they showed similar morphologies. Cells were treated with certain concentrations of gallic and ferulic acid in isolation which prevent hyphal growth by 25-50 % were determined. Results showed that gallic and ferulic acids were inhibit the enzyme activity involved in oxidative phosphorylation of C. albicain (SC5314 and A27).