Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism
Abstract Candida albicans is a highly drug-resistant fungus for which new treatments are urgently needed due to the lack of clinically effective options. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity and mechanism of plasma-activated Ezhangfeng Cuji (PAEC) against Candida albicans and compared...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | AMB Express |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-023-01571-6 |
| _version_ | 1797789585954045952 |
|---|---|
| author | Lin Lin Yue Zhuo Qiran Dong Chunjun Yang Cheng Cheng Taofeng Liu |
| author_facet | Lin Lin Yue Zhuo Qiran Dong Chunjun Yang Cheng Cheng Taofeng Liu |
| author_sort | Lin Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Candida albicans is a highly drug-resistant fungus for which new treatments are urgently needed due to the lack of clinically effective options. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity and mechanism of plasma-activated Ezhangfeng Cuji (PAEC) against Candida albicans and compared it with physiological saline (PS), plasma-activated physiological saline (PAPS) and Ezhangfeng Cuji (EC). After dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment with EC for 20 min followed by a 10 min immersion of Candida albicans, the fungus was reduced by approximately 3 orders of magnitude. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed an increase of 41.18% and 129.88% in the concentration of oxymatrine and rhein, respectively, after plasma-treated EC. The concentrations of reactive species (RS), such as H2O2, $${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ NO 3 - , and O3, were found to be higher and the pH value was getting lower in PS after plasma treatment. Detailed analysis of intracellular material leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis for Candida albicans and observation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that PAPS, EC and PAEC disrupt the morphological structure of Candida albicans to varying degrees.Additionally, specific analyses on Candida albicans virulence factors, such as adhesion to tissue surfaces, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), the transition of yeast-phase cells to mycelium-phase cells, and the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes for Candida albicans were conducted and found to be inhibited after PAPS/EC/PAEC treatment. In our investigation, the inhibitory effects on Candida albicans were ranked from strong to weak as follows: PAEC, EC, PAPS, and PS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:52:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b466949aac18481a800db2dc2f97da8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2191-0855 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:52:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AMB Express |
| spelling | doaj.art-b466949aac18481a800db2dc2f97da8b2023-07-02T11:27:36ZengSpringerOpenAMB Express2191-08552023-06-0113111910.1186/s13568-023-01571-6Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanismLin Lin0Yue Zhuo1Qiran Dong2Chunjun Yang3Cheng Cheng4Taofeng Liu5The Postgraduate School of Anhui, University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical UniversityInstitute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese MedicineAbstract Candida albicans is a highly drug-resistant fungus for which new treatments are urgently needed due to the lack of clinically effective options. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity and mechanism of plasma-activated Ezhangfeng Cuji (PAEC) against Candida albicans and compared it with physiological saline (PS), plasma-activated physiological saline (PAPS) and Ezhangfeng Cuji (EC). After dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment with EC for 20 min followed by a 10 min immersion of Candida albicans, the fungus was reduced by approximately 3 orders of magnitude. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results showed an increase of 41.18% and 129.88% in the concentration of oxymatrine and rhein, respectively, after plasma-treated EC. The concentrations of reactive species (RS), such as H2O2, $${\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ NO 3 - , and O3, were found to be higher and the pH value was getting lower in PS after plasma treatment. Detailed analysis of intracellular material leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis for Candida albicans and observation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that PAPS, EC and PAEC disrupt the morphological structure of Candida albicans to varying degrees.Additionally, specific analyses on Candida albicans virulence factors, such as adhesion to tissue surfaces, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), the transition of yeast-phase cells to mycelium-phase cells, and the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes for Candida albicans were conducted and found to be inhibited after PAPS/EC/PAEC treatment. In our investigation, the inhibitory effects on Candida albicans were ranked from strong to weak as follows: PAEC, EC, PAPS, and PS.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-023-01571-6Plasma activated Ezhangfeng CujiCandida albicansIn vitro antifungal effectFungal structureVirulence factor |
| spellingShingle | Lin Lin Yue Zhuo Qiran Dong Chunjun Yang Cheng Cheng Taofeng Liu Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism AMB Express Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji Candida albicans In vitro antifungal effect Fungal structure Virulence factor |
| title | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| title_full | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| title_fullStr | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| title_short | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| title_sort | plasma activated ezhangfeng cuji as innovative antifungal agent and its inactivation mechanism |
| topic | Plasma activated Ezhangfeng Cuji Candida albicans In vitro antifungal effect Fungal structure Virulence factor |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-023-01571-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT linlin plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism AT yuezhuo plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism AT qirandong plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism AT chunjunyang plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism AT chengcheng plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism AT taofengliu plasmaactivatedezhangfengcujiasinnovativeantifungalagentanditsinactivationmechanism |