Exploring the Antifungal Activity and Action of Saussurea costus Root Extracts against Candida albicans and Non-albicans Species

The isolation and assessment of the active constituents in polar and non-polar crude extracts of Saussurea costus roots as antifungal agents, against Candida albicans and non-C. albicans (NAC) species, was the aim of this current investigation. The SEM “Scanning electron microscopy” imaging provided potential action modes of n-hexane extract (nhhE) toward Candida spp., whereas the TLC-DB “Thin layer chromatography-direct bioautography” was employed for detecting the anticandidal compounds. nhhE had the greatest biocidal activity against all strains and clinical isolates of Candida spp. with maximum zones of inhibition. SEM revealed the occurrence of irregular, dense inclusions of C. albicans cell walls after treatment with nhhE for 12 h. Complete morphological distortions with lysed membranes and deterioration signs appeared in most treated cells of C. parapsilosis. The most effectual compound with anticandidal activity was isolated using TLC-BD and identified as sesquiterpene by GC/MS analysis. The infra-red analysis revealed the presence of lactone ring stretching vibrations at 1766.72 cm−1. The anticandidal activity of nhhE of S. costus roots was confirmed from the results, and the treated cotton fabrics with nhhE of S. costus possessed observable activity against C. albicans. Data could recommend the practical usage of S. costus extracts, particularly nhhE, as influential natural bioactive sources for combating pathogenic Candida spp.

Anticandidal potentiality of biosynthesized and decorated nanometals with fucoidan

Candidagenus includes many hazardous and risky species that can develop resistance toward various antifungal types. Metals nanoparticles (NPs) possess powerful antimicrobial actions, but their potential human toxicity could limit their practices. The algal polysaccharide fucoidan (Fu) was extracted from the macro-brown algae,Cystoseira barbata, analyzed, and used for biosynthesizing nanoparticles of silver (Ag-NPs) and selenium (Se-NPs). The extracted Fu had elevated fucose levels (58.73% of total monosaccharides) and exhibited the main biochemical characteristic of customary Fu. The Fu biosynthesis of Ag-NPs and Se-NPs was achieved via facile direct protocol; Fu-synthesized NPs had 12.86 and 16.18 nm average diameters, respectively. The ultrastructure of Fu-synthesized NPs emphasized well-distributed and spherical particles that were embedded/capped in Fu as combined clusters. The Fu/Ag-NPs and Fu/Se-NPs anticandidal assessments, againstCandida albicans,Candida glabrata, andCandida parapsilosis, revealed that both NPs had powerful fungicidal actions against the examined pathogens. The ultrastructure imaging of subjectedC. albicansandC. parapsilosisto NPs revealed that Fu/Ag-NPs and Fu/Se-NPs triggered remarkable distortions, pore formation, and destructive lysis in cell surfaces within 10 h of exposure. The innovative usage ofC. barbataFu for Ag-NP and Se-NP synthesis and the application of their composites as powerful anticandidal agents, with minimized human toxicity, are concluded.

Abstract P129: Antihypertensive Drugs and Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 391, 790 Patients

Introduction: The potential risk of cancer associated with antihypertensive drugs has been disputed for decades as additional outcomes from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, and meta-analyses showed conflicting results.

Objective: To assess the risk of cancer in patients exposed to major antihypertensive drug classes.

Methods: We searched bibliographic databases for RCTs published between 1950 to December 2015 studying angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), beta-blockers (BB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), and thiazide diuretics (TZ). RCTs with at least one year duration of planned active treatment and a minimum of 100 participants per treatment arm were eligible.

Main Outcome Measures: Cancer and cancer-related deaths from the RCTs. Both fixed-effect and random-effects models were conducted and results were expressed as odds ratio (OR).

Results: We identified 91 RCTs enrolling 391, 790 participants with an average follow-up of 3.4 years. There was no evidence of excess risk for cancer with ARB, ACEi, BB, and TZ (refer Fig.1). For CCBs, there was an increased risk of cancer (OR 1.07 95%CI 1.02, 1.1) with minimal heterogeneity (I 2 =13%). Subgroup analysis did not differ significantly between dihydropyridines (DHP) and non-dihiydropyridines subclasses. There was no statistically significant association between antihypertensive drug classes and risk of cancer deaths.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that ARB, ACEi, BB, and TZ are not associated with increased risk of cancer. CCB therapy shows an increased risk of cancer. Further investigation on the risk of cancer with CCB is warranted.