| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 1060-1 | ||||
Resumo:The increasing number of multi-resistant organisms to conventional drugs has driven studies aimed at the need to seek new molecules with antifungal activity for the control and prevention of pathogens. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) stand out, which are natural molecules, of low molecular weight with a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity on microorganisms. In the genus Capsicum, several AMPs have already been described, thus proving to be a promising source of resources with biotechnological potential. The objective of this work was to isolate and partially characterize peptides present in Capsicum frutescens seeds and fruits, evaluating the antifungal activity of the extracts and isolated peptides against yeasts of the genus Candida. Initially, two methodologies were used for protein extraction from seeds and fruits of C. frutescens. The extracts from both extractions were submitted to reverse phase chromatography on an HPLC system, using a C18 column. The entire extraction and purification process was accompanied by SDS-PAGE polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The extracts obtained were also evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of yeasts C. parapsilosis, C. buinensis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. mogii e C. albicans, and the fractions isolated by chromatography were subjected to membrane permeabilization tests, increasing the endogenous production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial functionality.It was observed that the acid extract of seeds rich in peptides inhibited all tested yeasts in different concentrations. This same extract was subjected to reverse phase chromatography on an HPLC system, where six major fractions (F0–F5) were obtained. In particular, the fractions called F2 and F3 inhibited the growth of the yeast C. albicans by 86% and 77%, respectively, when tested at a concentration of 200 µg/mL-1. As for C. parapsilosis, at the same concentration, F2 and F3 inhibited 75 and 57% of growth, respectively. We also observed that F2 and F3 caused permeabilization of the plasma membrane of C. albicans and C. parapsilosis, however, under the tested conditions, they did not cause an increase in ROS and reduced mitochondrial functionality by only 26 and 28%, respectively, suggesting that these act through other mechanisms of action. In this way, we seek to contribute to the studies of antimicrobial peptides through prospective approaches that make it possible to establish a viable alternative for the production of new drugs with antimicrobial potential on yeasts of the genus Candida. Palavras-chave: AMPs, Capsicum, pathogenic yeasts Agência de fomento: UENF/FAPERJ | |||||