Antifungal activity of Curcumin Encapsulated in Polymersome Nanoparticles against Fluconazole Resistant Isolates of Candida albicans and its Effect on the Expression level of Efflux Pump MDR1 gene

Subject Areas : Biotechnological Journal of Environmental Microbiology

ُSahar Pourasgar ¹ , Aida Bejari ² , Mahkameh Hedayatsafa ³ , Mahdi Shahriarinour ⁴ , Najmeh Ranji ⁵

1 - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
2 - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
3 - Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Sciences, university of parma, Italy.
4 - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
5 - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.

Received: 2023-04-22 Accepted : 2023-06-05 Published : 2023-06-08

Keywords: Candida albicans, Curcumin, MDR1, polymersome, qRT-PCR,

Abstract :

Curcumin, active component from Curcuma longa, is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Candida albicans is a major fungal pathogen with high mortality rate, particularly in immunocompromised
patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin encapsulated in nanoparticles (polymersomes)
in combination with fluconazole on the expression of the MDRI gene in drug-resistant isolates of C. albicans.
This descriptive cross-sectional study involved obtaining 50 clinical samples, from women with vulvovaginal
infections at Al-Zahra hospital (Rasht, Iran). After the identification of C.albicans in clinical samples, the
isolates, resistance to fluconazole was assessed using disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. Six fluconazole-
resistant isolates of C. albicans were treated with curcumin encapsulated in polymersomes (400 μg/ml)
in combination with fluconazole (½ MIC) compared to cells treated with fluconazole (½ MIC) alone. After
24 hours, the two cell groups were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) to estimate the cell death rate.
The expression of the MDR1 gene was quantitatively investigated using the qRT-PCR method in treated and
untreated isolates. Our finding indicated that combined therapy with ½ MIC fluconazole and curcumin encapsulated
in nanoparticles (at a concentration of 400μg/ml) reduced fungal growth by up to 50% afetr 24 hours.
In treated cells, qRT-PCR analysis revealed a decrease in MDR1 gene expression compared to untreated cells.
Curcumin encapsulated in nanoparticles appears to enhance the effectiveness of fluconazole in fluconazole-resistant
isolates by reducing MDR1 gene expression.

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