MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

The Potential Role of Plant Secondary Metabolites on Antifungal and Immunomodulatory Effect

Summary

This research explores how natural compounds from plants could help fight fungal infections while also supporting the immune system. Plant-derived compounds offer a promising alternative to existing antifungal drugs, especially as more fungi become resistant to current treatments. These natural compounds work in multiple ways – they can directly kill fungi, prevent them from growing, and help boost the body’s own immune response to infections. Key impacts on everyday life: • Could lead to new treatments for common fungal infections like athlete’s foot and yeast infections • May help reduce side effects compared to current antifungal medications • Could provide more affordable treatment options since plant compounds are generally less expensive to produce • May help address the growing problem of drug-resistant fungal infections • Could lead to new combination therapies that work better than existing treatments alone

Background

Fungal infections pose a serious global health threat, with high morbidity and mortality rates affecting over 1 billion people annually. The widespread use of antibiotics and increasing numbers of immunodeficient patients have led to rising fungal resistance to existing antifungal drugs. Plant secondary metabolites offer promising potential as novel antifungal agents due to their diverse chemical structures, low cost, high availability, strong antimicrobial activity, and minimal side effects.

Objective

This review aims to comprehensively examine the antifungal mechanisms of plant secondary metabolites against different types of fungi and fungal infections, while also highlighting their immunomodulatory effects on the human body. The goal is to lay groundwork for research into new antifungal drugs and discovery of novel therapeutic targets.

Results

The review found that plant secondary metabolites exhibit multiple antifungal mechanisms including: inhibition of fungal mycotoxin synthesis, prevention of biofilm formation, decrease in spore numbers and hyphal growth, disruption of ergosterol synthesis and cell membrane permeability, and alteration of DNA replication. Many compounds also demonstrated immunomodulatory effects by reducing tissue inflammation and regulating pro-inflammatory factors. Several metabolites showed synergistic effects when combined with existing antifungal drugs.

Conclusion

Plant secondary metabolites demonstrate significant potential as novel antifungal agents due to their dual antifungal and immunomodulatory properties. While promising, more research is needed to fully understand specific mechanisms of action and clinical applications. The vast diversity of plant species offers extensive opportunities for discovering new therapeutic compounds, though significant work remains to develop these into clinical treatments.
  • Published in:Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1007/s00253-023-12601-5
Scroll to Top