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Extracts from Flammulina velutipes Inhibit the Adhesion of Pathogenic Fungi to Epithelial Cells

Summary

This research investigated how extracts from the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes could help prevent harmful fungi from attaching to human cells. The study found that these mushroom extracts can reduce the ability of disease-causing fungi to stick to human cells, potentially offering a natural way to fight fungal infections. Impacts on everyday life: • Could lead to new natural treatments for common fungal infections • Offers potential alternatives to conventional antifungal medications that may have side effects • Demonstrates the medical potential of common edible mushrooms • May help immunocompromised patients who are susceptible to fungal infections • Shows promise for developing preventive treatments against fungal diseases

Background

Mycosis caused by opportunistic pathogenic fungi has increased due to uncontrolled antibiotic use and rise in immunocompromised patients. Current antifungal therapies can be ineffective due to pathogen resistance and drug side effects. While most treatments target fungal viability, preventing initial adhesion to host cells represents another potential therapeutic approach. Natural extracts have shown promise in inhibiting pathogen adhesion.

Objective

To assess the capacity of extracts from Flammulina velutipes (wild-type AQF-1 and reference strain ATCC 34574) to inhibit the adhesion of Sporothrix schenkii and Candida albicans to epithelial cells.

Results

The AQF-1 strain extract inhibited S. schenkii adhesion in a dose-dependent manner (4.9%, 7.5%, 12.7%) and C. albicans adhesion in a dose-independent manner (5.2%). ATCC34574 strain extracts showed dose-independent inhibition for both fungi: 3.9% for S. schenkii and 2.6% for C. albicans. Both extracts contained high carbohydrate content (95-96.7%) and low protein content (2.9-3.1%).

Conclusion

The extracts from F. velutipes successfully inhibited the adhesion of pathogenic fungi to host cells. While the exact molecular mechanism remains unknown, it likely involves interaction between extract polysaccharides and fungal receptors. The wild-type AQF-1 strain showed greater inhibitory activity compared to the reference strain.
  • Published in:Pharmacognosy Research,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.4103/0974-8490.178648
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