AUTHOR=Alves Júnia C. O. , Ferreira Gabriella F. , Santos Julliana R. , Silva Luís C. N. , Rodrigues João F. S. , Neto Wallace R. N. , Farah Emmanueli I. , Santos Áquila R. C. , Mendes Brenda S. , Sousa Lourimar V. N. F. , Monteiro Andrea S. , dos Santos Vera L. , Santos Daniel A. , Perez Andrea C. , Romero Thiago R. L. , Denadai Ângelo M. L. , Guzzo Luciana S. TITLE=Eugenol Induces Phenotypic Alterations and Increases the Oxidative Burst in Cryptococcus JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=8 YEAR=2017 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02419 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.02419 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

Eugenol is a phenolic compound and the main constituent of the essential oil of clove India. Although there are reports of some pharmacological effects of eugenol, this study is the first that proposes to evaluate the antifungal effects of this phenol against both Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans cells. The effect of eugenol against yeast cells was analyzed for drug susceptibility, alterations in cell diameter, capsule properties, amounts of ergosterol, oxidative burst, and thermodynamics data. Data demonstrated that there is no interaction between eugenol and fluconazole and amphotericin B. Eugenol reduced the cell diameter and the capsule size, increased cell surface/volume, changed positively the cell surface charge of cryptococcal cells. We also verified increased levels of reactive oxygen species without activation of antioxidant enzymes, leading to increased lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduction of lysosomal integrity in cryptococcal cells. Additionally, the results showed that there is no significant molecular interaction between eugenol and C. neoformans. Morphological alterations, changes of cellular superficial charges and oxidative stress play an important role in antifungal activity of eugenol against C. gattii and C. neoformans that could be used as an auxiliary treatment to cutaneous cryptococcosis.