Paeonol assists fluconazole and amphotericin B to inhibit virulence factors and pathogenicity of Candida albicans

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the mono- and dual- antifungal activities of paeonol (PAE) and fluconazole (FLZ)/amphotericin B (AmB). To this end, the effects of PAE and FLZ/AmB on cell surface hydrophobicity, hydrolase activity, morphological transition were investigated in vitro and in a Galleria mellonella infection model. The results showed a relatively high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sessile MIC (SMIC) of PAE alone. However, compared with the single drug, the combined use of PAE and FLZ/AmB had a potent synergistic potential to inhibit the virulence factors for Candida. The concomitant use of two drugs was consistently more effective than either drug alone for increasing survival rate, decreasing the fungal burden, and alleviating the pathological features of G. mellonella infected by the fungus. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the anti-Candida effects of PAE plus FLZ/AmB and their potential to increase the sensitivity of C. albicans to FLZ/AmB of PAE.

Keywords:

• Candida albicans
• virulence factors
• hypha
• paeonol
• sensitizer
• Galleria mellonella

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest is declared by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Anhui Province under grant 2008085J40, Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province under grants 1908085MH291, 2008085MH300, and Cultivation Program of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine under grants 2021py03.