ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF PROPOLIS ON PLANKTONIC AND SESSILE CELLS OF Candida tropicalis.

• Grant number: 25/08947-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Luciana da Silva Ruiz Menezes
• Grantee: Alice Alegreti de Freitas Coelho
• Host Institution: Instituto Adolfo Lutz (IAL). Coordenadoria de Controle de Doenças (CCD). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Candida tropicalis is an important species that gives rise, among other conditions, to candidemia, and is characterized by its high associated mortality rate. It is considered one of the most virulent species of the genus, with a hallmark feature of C. tropicalis infections being the formation of biofilms on various surfaces of medical devices and implants, such as catheters, artificial heart valves, maxillofacial prostheses, pacemakers, joint prostheses, and contact lenses, which pose serious functional, medical, and aesthetic risks. Furthermore, this species has been emerging with resistance to azoles. The rapid emergence of invasive infections caused by azole-resistant Candida tropicalis has become a public health concern, creating an urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. In this context, the objectives of this study are: to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of planktonic cells from clinical isolates of C. tropicalis in response to the antifungal fluconazole and green propolis ethanolic extract; to evaluate the antibiofilm activity of the green propolis ethanolic extract against clinical isolates of C. tropicalis; and to assess gene expression before and after exposure of planktonic and sessile cells of C. tropicalis to the green propolis ethanolic extract-specifically the expression of the ERG11 and BCR1 genes. (AU)