Evaluation of the antifungal activity of peptides derived from Histatin-5 to treat oral candidiasis

• Grant number: 13/04290-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Saulo Santesso Garrido
• Grantee: Priscila Marangoni Porto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The continued use of topical and systemic antifungal treatment in conventional oral thrush has resulted in multi-resistant Candida albicans. For this reason, new technologies for drug development are a promising strategy in the field of biotechnology. In this way, peptides with the antifungal effects produced by plants, animals, and microorganisms are used as models for developing new drugs with applications in healthcare. Histatin 5 is a peptide found in human saliva with strong property fungicidal in vitro. This peptide is extremely rich in the amino acids lysine and histidine and in physiological pH, has potential for inhibiting biofilm formation of Candida albicans, and can therefore be applied in the treatment of oral candidiasis. This project will be developed in partnership with the Faculty of Dentistry of Araraquara, under the supervision of Profª. Drª. Eunice Teresa Giampaolo and doctoral student Eduardo Buozi Moffa, aiming to achieve the synthesis, purification, and characterization of structural derivatives of Histatin-5 and evaluate their activities on planktonic cells biofilm of Candida albicans. To achieve these goals, in addition to the manual synthesis of peptides derived from Histatin-5 using the technique of solid phase, will be performed the following tests: I) XTT assay and by counting viable colonies; II) determining the concentration and immersion time suitable for promoting the inactivation of microorganisms by the same tests described above; iii) evaluating the cytotoxicity of the peptides. These analyzes will be the basis for the possible development of a new protocol for the prevention and treatment of candidiasis in users of removable dentures. (AU)