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Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating farnesol evaluated in vivo against Candida albicans

  • Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

Farnesol is a natural essential oil with antimicrobial properties. Complexation of farnesol in chitosan nanoparticles can be useful to improve its bioavailability and potentiate its antifungal capabilities such as inhibition of hyphal and biofilm formation. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize chitosan nanoparticles with farnesol (NF) and evaluate their toxicity and antifungal action on C. albicans in vivo. The NF were prepared by the ionic gelation method and showed physicochemical characteristics such as diameter less than 200 nm, monodisperse distribution, positive zeta potential, spherical morphology, and stability after 120 days of storage. In the evaluation of toxicity in Galleria mellonella, NF did not reduce the survival rate, indicating that there was no toxicity in vivo at the doses tested. In the assays with G. mellonella infected by C. albicans, the larvae treated with NF had a high survival rate after 48 h, with a significant reduction of the fungal load and inhibition of the formation of biofilms and hyphae. In the murine model of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), histopathological analysis showed a reduction in inflammatory parameters, fungal burden, and hyphal inhibition in mice treated with NF. The produced nanoparticles can be a promising alternative to inhibit C. albicans infection.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) and the Research Support Foundation of the State of Goiás (FAPEG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil

    Adelaide Fernandes Costa, Jacqueline Teixeira da Silva, Juliana Assis Martins, Viviane Lopes Rocha, Liliana Borges de Menezes & Andre Correa Amaral

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Correspondence to Adelaide Fernandes Costa.

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Costa, A.F., da Silva, J.T., Martins, J.A. et al. Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating farnesol evaluated in vivo against Candida albicans. Braz J Microbiol 55, 143–154 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-023-01168-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-023-01168-y

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