TY - JOUR AU - Nath, Archana AU - Joshi, Santaram PY - 2017/12/01 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Anti-candidal effect of endophytic fungi isolated from Calotropis gigantea JF - Revista de Biología Tropical JA - Rev. Biol. Trop. VL - 65 IS - 4 SE - Articles DO - 10.15517/rbt.v65i4.26269 UR - https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/26269 SP - 1437–1447 AB - <p class="Abstract"><em>Candida albicans</em> is a most common cause of fungal infections in animals and birds. Understanding the increasing resistance of <em>C. albicans</em> to various antifungal therapeutic agents is important to discover new anti-candidal alternatives. The present study investigated the anti-candidalpotential of five endophytic fungi extracts, isolated from the tropical ethnoveterinary plant, <em>Calotropis gigantea</em>. We firstly evaluated the <em>in vitro</em> antifungal activities of endophytic fungi extracts by the well diffusion method. Secondly, the cells of <em>C. albicans </em>were treated with the potent extract to observe significant ultrastructural changes. To further investigate the <em>in vivo</em> antifungal activity of the extract, some laboratory experiments with mice were undertaken, and posteriourly, the different organs were studied under the electron microscope for any deformities. <em>Phomopsis asparagi</em> showed the best anti-candidal activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 46.9 µg/mL. The fungal test pathogen (<em>C. albicans</em>) exhibited various cell deformities when treated with the extract of <em>P. asparagi. </em>Histopathological studies of the vital organs of mice treated with the potent fungal extract did not show any significant pathological conditions when viewed under scanning electron microscope. Thus, <em>P. asparagi </em>can be a potential candidate for anti-candidal agents against <em>C. albicans.</em> Future studies will focus on the isolation of the bioactive components of the extract.</p> ER -