| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 345-2 | ||||
Resumo:Sporotrichosis is a fungal disease that occurs endemically in Brazil, it is caused by Sporothrix spp and, despite it mainly affecting felines, it has significant zoonotic potential. The most common clinical sign in cats is ulcerated skin lesions, which can progress to a systemic form, potentially leading to fatal outcomes. However, treating the disease is challenging due to the scarcity of available medications, their high cost, and the prolonged treatment period that may lead to side effects. Therefore, seeking new viable alternatives for effective and efficient sporotrichosis treatment is essential. Among these alternatives, polymers like polypyrrole (PPy) present a promising solution due to their antimicrobial potential, resulting from reactive groups in their chemical structure that can impact fungal cell membranes. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of polypyrrole against an isolate of Sporothrix spp. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Animal Microbiology and Immunology at the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco (Univasf), in Petrolina, PE. The Sporothrix spp. sample was obtained from a feline with sporotrichosis treated at a veterinary clinic in the same city. Leveduriformes of the fungus were used for this experiment, they were obtained from filamentous forms that were cultured in Sabouraud Dextrose Broth and Mycosel Agar for 6 to 7 days at a temperature of 28 to 30°C, and conidia (1x105 CFU/mL) were subsequently incubated in Brain Heart Infusion Broth supplemented with 2% dextrose (pH 7.8), subsequently incubated at 37°C for 6 to 7 days. As for polypyrrole, it was purified under reduced pressure at the Laboratory of Impedance Spectroscopy and Organic Materials (LEIMO) at Univasf’s Juazeiro Campus. To assess the susceptibility of the isolate to polypyrrole, the broth microdilution method was performed, determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of PPY against the fungus in question. Regarding the results obtained, polypyrrole demonstrated its antifungal potential, exhibiting inhibitory and fungicidal activity against the isolate of Sporothrix spp. at a low concentration (31.5 μg/mL). This fungicidal activity is probably connected to the electrostatic interaction of polypyrrole with the fungal cell surface, interfering with the integrity and permeability of the membrane and consequently leading to cell death. Overall, these findings suggest that polypyrrole holds promise as an alternative treatment for sporotrichosis and possibly other fungal and bacterial infections unresponsive to conventional therapies. Nevertheless, further studies are required to assess its efficiency and toxicity in higher-scale in vitro studies, as well as under in vivo conditions. Palavras-chave: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Mycoses, Polymers, Sporothrix spp, Zoonosis Agência de fomento:Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), e Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE) | |||||