Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Capacity for Controlling Fungal Infection in Humans Promising antimicrobials from natural products

ACHIMÓN, FERNANDA; MERLO, C.; PIZZOLITTO, R.P.; DAMBOLENA S.; OMARINI A.; ZYGADLO J.A.

Promising Antimicrobials from Natural Products

Springer International Publishing

Año: 2022; p. 1 - 484

It is estimated that over 30% of the world?s population has ever had afungal infection. The most common fungal diseases are nail and skin infections,which are mainly caused by fungi of the genus Trichophyton spp., Epidermophytonspp., or Microsporum spp. Onychomycosis is a fungal infection that affects mainlynails, but can also cause foot and leg ulcerations, leading to extreme situations, suchas limb amputation. Among dermatophytes, T. rubrum is mainly responsible forskin infections. Antifungal compounds, such as azoles, allylamines, and amorolfine(administered orally or topically), are usually used in the treatment of this disease.The oral mucosa and the genital tract are other targets of attack by fungal pathogens.In these cases, yeasts of the genus Candida spp. play a crucial role. It is estimatedthat about 75% of women have suffered Candida spp. vulvovaginitis at least once intheir lives. Other opportunistic pathogenic fungi that frequently affect human healthare some species belonging to the genus Cryptococcus spp. (cutaneous mycoses and opportunistic mycoses) and Aspergillus spp. (allergic reactions, keratitis and opportunisticonychomycosis). The usual problem for the treatment of these infections isthe fungal resistance to azoles, polyenes, echinocandins, among other existingdrugs. In this context, there is an urgent need to find out new alternatives for thetreatment of fungal infections. Natural products, such as volatile organic compounds,essential oils, or their components, have shown promising antifungal activities.In this chapter, we will discuss the latest findings about the antifungal activityof volatile organic compounds, essential oils, and their individual componentsagainst fungi of clinical importance. Moreover, the structure related to the antifungalactivity of these natural compounds, their mechanisms of action, and their synergisticproperties will also be explored.