Frontiers in fungal biology最新文献

{"title":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations persist in flooded sediment, with distinct communities in soil-borne and sediment-borne roots of <i>Phragmites australis</i>.","authors":"Joao Wendrich Teixeira, Justin D Stewart, Nicola T Case, Bethan F Manley, E Toby Kiers, Vasilis Kokkoris","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1815819","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1815819","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form symbioses with most terrestrial plant species, and likely facilitated the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Surprisingly, the plant-AM symbiosis remains understudied in aquatic and water-saturated habitats. Here, we assessed AM fungal colonisation and community composition in the roots of a widespread wetland grass, <i>Phragmites australis</i> (common reed), in the Netherlands. Samples were collected in dry soil (soil-borne) and in flooded sediments (sediment-borne) up to 1 meter below water. We quantified AM fungal colonisation in both soil-borne and sediment-borne roots, with approximately 80% of samples showing AM fungal colonisation across both root habitats. Soil-borne roots showed higher colonisation frequency (mean 50% ± 30 SD) than flooded sediment-borne roots (mean 39% ± 25 SD). We then used amplicon sequencing (18S rDNA) to explore the community composition of roots, recovering an average of ~20 AM fungal taxa (ASVs richness estimates) from soil-borne roots and ~9 ASVs from flooded sediment-borne roots. Soil-borne and sediment-borne roots harboured different AM fungal communities, with varied genera present between the two. Together, our results provide an initial baseline for understanding AM fungal diversity associated with <i>P. australis</i> and suggest that differences in community composition between soil-borne and sediment-borne roots may reflect flooding-driven environmental filtering.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1815819"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13416099/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148622805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabarcoding of <i>Chloraea</i> orchid roots reveals diverse fungal communities and a negative association between fungal diversity and geographic range.","authors":"Orlando Jeldes-Cajas, Janice Zúñiga, Alfredo Ceballos, Isadora Chávez, Guillermo Pereira, Marco A Molina-Montenegro, Cristian Atala","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1870189","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1870189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Orchid mycorrhizal fungi are essential partners for orchid seed germination and survival, yet the full diversity of fungi associated with orchid roots, including nonmycorrhizaltaxa, remains poorly characterized, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. This could impact orchid conservation and <i>in situ</i> restoration programs. Here we present the first untargeted metabarcoding study of root-associated fungal communities in Chilean terrestrial orchids.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used ITS regsion for fungal metabarcoding, sampling eleven species of the genus <i>Chloraea</i> (Orchidaceae) across the central Chilean coast.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Root-associated communities were dominated by Ascomycota and were highly variable in composition among individuals and species, with orchid mycorrhizal fungi representing only a minor fraction of total diversity and the family Tulasnellaceae absent from all samples. Community composition differed significantly among <i>Chloraea</i> species, and contrary to expectations, species with broader geographic ranges tended to associate with less diverse root-associated fungal communities - a pattern that was consistent in direction across multiple diversity indices but sensitive to sampling effort. A substantial proportion of sequences could not be assigned taxonomically, reflecting the underrepresentation of Chilean fungal diversity in global reference databases.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate the value of untargeted sequencing for revealing the breadth of orchid-fungi associations, and highlight that mycorrhizal specificity could vary markedly across <i>Chloraea</i> species, with direct implications for the conservation of threatened Chilean terrestrial orchids.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1870189"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13397009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148586292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Warming reduces fungal endophyte dependency for establishment but amplifies stress-response gene expression in the Antarctic invader <i>Poa annua</i>.","authors":"Sebastián A Reyes, Cristian Atala, Cristian Torres-Díaz, Marco A Molina-Montenegro","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868127","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868127","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal endophytes transmitted through seeds are recognized as key drivers of plant invasion success, yet whether their role persists or shifts under climate warming remains poorly understood. Here we address this question in <i>Poa annua</i>, the only non-native vascular plant with established self-sustaining populations in Maritime Antarctica, using a factorial experiment on King George Island. Combining open-top chamber warming (OTC⁺) and endophyte manipulation (E⁺ vs. E^-), we assessed germination, seedling survival, and expression of two stress-response genes (<i>HSP</i> and <i>LEA1</i>) in this invasive grass. Germination was unaffected by either treatment, while survival was independently improved by both endophyte presence and warming, but their effects did not interact, suggesting that thermal amelioration may reduce reliance on endophyte-mediated buffering for establishment. Under warming, however, endophytes strongly amplified <i>HSP</i> expression through a significant OTC × E interaction, indicating conditional molecular priming of the heat-stress response. <i>LEA1</i> expression showed the additive effects of both factors. These results suggest that as Antarctic temperatures rise, <i>P. annua</i> may progressively decouple from its seed-borne fungal endophytes for establishment while retaining endophyte-amplified transcriptional responses to thermal and hydric stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1868127"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13388306/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: The adenylate cyclase-mediated signaling pathway required for regulating siderophore and toxin biosynthesis and pathogenicity in <i>Alternaria alternata</i>.","authors":"Kai-Chu Huang, Hsin-Yu Lu, Celine Yen Ling Choo, Pei-Ching Wu, Kuang-Ren Chung","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1884384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/ffunb.2026.1884384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2026.1766476.].</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1884384"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13374609/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148474494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"False smut of rice: integrating molecular pathogenicity and epidemiology for next-generation disease management.","authors":"K Nishmitha, Sudeep Adhikari, Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Suryakant Manik, Hem Chandra Lal, Lham Dorjee","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1875221","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1875221","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>False smut of rice, caused by <i>Ustilaginoidea virens</i>, has emerged as a serious threat to global rice production, resulting in substantial yield and grain quality losses. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the pathogen's life cycle, infection biology, and epidemiological factors, while highlighting the limitations of current management strategies that rely predominantly on fungicide applications. <i>U. virens</i> exhibits a unique biotrophic infection strategy, colonizing floral tissues without specialized infection structures and manipulating host physiology through a diverse repertoire of effectors that suppress immunity, alter hormonal signaling, and hijack sugar transport systems to facilitate nutrient diversion and smut ball formation. Integrating molecular mechanisms with epidemiological factors such as climate variability and inoculum dynamics provides important insights into disease development and spread. Recent progress in artificial intelligence has enabled the development of predictive modeling frameworks, while advances in spectral imaging and molecular diagnostics offer promising tools for early detection and disease forecasting. In the absence of identified resistance rice cultivars, genome editing and microbiome-based strategies are viable alternative approaches for durable disease control. These advances together provide a basis for a transition to an integrated management framework incorporating forecasting models, genome editing, and microbiome-informed interventions for more sustainable and effective control of rice false smut.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1875221"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13368785/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148457884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Entomopathogenic fungi, plasma-activated water, and their synergistic effects for sustainable management of <i>Lipaphis erysimi</i>.","authors":"Alviti Kankanamalage Hasith Priyashantha, Sarayut Pittarate, Thanandon Siripan, Jutamart Monkai, Saowaluck Tibpromma, Nuttapol Noirungsee, Norrapon Vichiansan, Samantha C Karunarathna, Patcharin Krutmuang, Saisamorn Lumyong","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1834224","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1834224","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are widely recognized as effective and environmentally sustainable biological control agents for a broad spectrum of agricultural insect pests. The increasing complexity and intensification of contemporary agricultural systems require the identification and development of more virulent and resilient fungal strains to ensure consistent pest suppression. In this study, ten EPF isolates representing <i>Beauveria bassiana, Cordyceps javanica</i>, and <i>Metarhizium anisopliae</i> were selected based on preliminary laboratory screens, and the insecticidal effectiveness of these isolates was tested against the mustard aphid, <i>Lipaphis erysimi</i>, along with the direct and interactive effects of plasma-activated water (PAW). Here, the PAW was generated using a surface dielectric barrier discharge (sDBD) plasma system, producing highly acidic water enriched with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Direct and daily application of PAW at concentrations of 50, 100, and 1,000 ppm resulted in complete aphid mortality within seven days at all tested concentrations. Conidial germination assays showed that lower PAW concentrations had less effect, whereas higher concentrations significantly inhibited germination. In certain isolates, the combined application of 100 ppm PAW and EPF produced greater aphid control than single EPF treatments. Overall, a single application of EPF achieved 87.67% aphid control, whereas the combined treatment achieved 99.67% mortality. Based on Lethal Time (LT₅₀) values, <i>C. javanica</i> SLLC-Cj 24 (single application average 6.93 days; combined application average 6.60 days) was the most virulent strain, followed by SLLC-Cj 11 (single application average 7.17 days; combined application average 6.65 days). Among the tested fungal strains, <i>B. bassiana</i> SLLC-Bb 12 demonstrated the strongest synergistic interaction with PAW, followed by <i>C. javanica</i> SLLC-Cj 1. These findings demonstrate that PAW possesses intrinsic insecticidal activity and can enhance overall mortality when integrated with EPF. However, isolate- or strain-specific interactions may influence mortality and infection rates, highlighting the need to select fungal cultures, optimize concentration, and exposure parameters for synergistic biocontrol strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1834224"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13365856/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148451017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimal substrate composition (C, N, and trace metals) for liquid culture of <i>Akanthomyces attenuatus</i> JEF 147 isolate.","authors":"Muhammad Farooq, Dan-Dan Zhao, Waqar Ahmad, Zakirullah Khan, Rahmatullah Jan, Bo-Seong Seo, Yonghwa Lee, Kyung-Min Kim","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1818832","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1818832","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Akanthomyces attenuatus</i> JEF 147 is a promising entomopathogenic fungus with notable acaricidal activity against spider mites. Controlled submerged cultivation with defined nutritional sources enables efficient mycelial and blastospore production while revealing vital features of fungal metabolism and adaptability. This study aimed to optimize liquid culture conditions for the production of <i>A</i>. <i>attenuatus</i> JEF 147, focusing on various carbon sources (fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, and potato starch), nitrogen sources (peptone, tryptone and yeast extract), and trace metals, (copper(II) sulfate, iron(II) sulfate, magnesium sulfate, manganese(II) sulfate, and zinc sulfate). Among the carbon sources tested, potato starch yielded the blastospores count 32 × 10⁷ after 7 days of culture. The nitrogen source, tryptone, produced the highest number of blastospores, up to 42 × 10⁷, representing a 31.3% increase over potato starch. Meanwhile, optimizing the carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio to 0.5:1 further increased blastospores production to 67 × 10⁷, a 109.4% increase compared with potato starch and a 59.5% over tryptone alone. Zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) as a trace metal resulted in a blastospores count of 37 × 10⁷, indicating a 11.9% decrease compared with tryptone and a 44.8% decrease compared with the 0.5:1 C:N condition. These results suggest that a C:N ratio of 0.5:1 maximizes blastospore production; furthermore, the addition of trace metals enhances the size and morphology of <i>A. attenuatus</i> blastospores but reduces total blastospore production. This study highlights the importance of optimizing culture conditions for the production of <i>A</i>. <i>attenuatus</i> JEF 147 spores, benefiting both research and industrial applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1818832"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13364918/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148450929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanisms of action and biocontrol potential of <i>Trichoderma</i> against <i>Alternaria</i> in horticultural crops: a review.","authors":"Rafi Khalido, Nia Rossiana, Dedat Prismantoro, Thomas Argyarich Jefferson, Malvin Albert, Nur Syafikah Abdullah, Budi Irawan, Mia Miranti, Wiwiek Harsonowati, Ravindra Chandra Joshi, Febri Doni","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1851718","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1851718","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fungal diseases caused by <i>Alternaria</i> species are major constraints to the productivity and quality of horticultural crops worldwide, resulting in significant yield losses, quality degradation, and postharvest challenges. Conventional management primarily relies on chemical fungicides; however, their extensive use raises concerns related to environmental contamination, pathogen resistance, and risks to human health. Consequently, increasing attention has shifted toward environmentally sustainable approaches such as microbial biological control agents. Among these, <i>Trichoderma</i> spp. have emerged as promising eco-friendly biocontrol agents due to their multifunctional interactions with plants and soil microbiomes. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of <i>Trichoderma</i> spp. in managing <i>Alternaria</i>-caused diseases in horticultural crops. Specific emphasis is placed on key mechanisms, including mycoparasitism, antibiosis through secondary metabolites, competition for nutrients and space, and the induction of systemic resistance in host plants. Evidence from <i>in vitro</i>, greenhouse, and field studies demonstrates that <i>Trichoderma</i> spp. can effectively suppress <i>Alternaria</i> pathogens while simultaneously enhancing plant growth and stress tolerance. However, the effectiveness of <i>Trichoderma</i>-based biocontrol strategies is influenced by environmental conditions, strain specificity, formulation stability, and interactions with indigenous microbial communities. Future research should focus on optimizing strain selection, developing robust formulations and delivery methods, and applying advanced genomic and metabolomic approaches to enhance the consistency and effectiveness of <i>Trichoderma</i>-based biocontrol in sustainable horticultural disease management.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1851718"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13350528/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148426918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Essential oil from <i>Artemisia gmelinii</i> extenuates cellular integrity of <i>Sporothrix globosa</i> and its biofilms by steering intracellular ROS and basal ergosterol levels.","authors":"Acharya Balkrishna, Manisha Kabdwal, Monali Joshi, Yash Varshney, Meenu Tomer, Pardeep Nain, Savita Lochab, Anurag Varshney","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1842749","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1842749","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Sporotrichosis is a fungal zoonotic infection caused by the pathogenic clade of the <i>Sporothrix</i> species complex. Considered a neglected tropical disease, sporotrichosis now has a cosmopolitan distribution through species like <i>Sporothrix globosa</i>. Moreover, multi-drug-resistant <i>S. globosa</i> strains are refractory to conventional antifungal therapy. The present study explores the anti-sporotrichotic effects of the essential oil of <i>Artemisia gmelinii</i> leaves (AgLEO) against a multi-drug-resistant strain of <i>S. globosa</i>.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was performed for chemical profiling of AgLEO. Broth microdilution assay determined the inhibitory concentration of AgLEO against <i>S. globosa</i>. Oxidative stress in yeast was evaluated using the H2-DCFDA assay. Calcofluor white staining highlighted morphological changes in <i>S. globosa</i> under a fluorescent microscope. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) determined total ergosterol levels in <i>S. globosa</i>. Biofilm formation was assessed by lactophenol cotton blue staining followed by brightfield microscopy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>GC-MS/MS analysis revealed that AgLEO is rich in oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, monoterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. <i>S. globosa</i> yeast cells exhibited a dose-dependent susceptibility to AgLEO, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀) of 0.3% (v/v) and 0.4% (v/v), respectively. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that AgLEO induces intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within 4 h of treatment, indicating oxidative stress-mediated cellular damages in <i>S. globosa</i>. Calcofluor white staining highlighted distorted and attenuated hyphal structures in <i>S. globosa</i> with AgLEO. Subsequently, UHPLC analysis also revealed a significant reduction of total ergosterol content in <i>S. globosa</i> with AgLEO. Together, these findings suggest that AgLEO-induced loss of structural integrity in <i>S. globosa</i> impaired the biofilm formation in <i>S. globosa</i> yeast cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides the first mechanistic evidence of AgLEO as an effective herbal agent against drug-resistant <i>S. globosa</i>. AgLEO exhibit multi-faceted anti-sporotrichotic effects by ROS induction, structural destabilization, ergosterol depletion, and biofilm inhibition. The outcome of the current study provides a promising botanical approach for sporotrichosis management and paves the way for developing plant-driven anti-sporotrichotic therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1842749"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13333735/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148439048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Pelargonium graveolens</i> essential oil against clinical <i>Candida</i> and reference isolates: insights into virulence inhibition and therapeutic perspectives.","authors":"Chahrazed Benzaid, Manel Lina Djendi, Sarra Touaibia, Lina Raghed Klaiaia, Ahlam Kihal, Lazhari Tichati, Amel Soussa, Mahmoud Rouabhia","doi":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868001","DOIUrl":"10.3389/ffunb.2026.1868001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The rising incidence of <i>Candida</i>-associated infections and persistent antifungal resistance, driven by biofilm formation, highlight the need for alternative therapies. Essential oils offer promise as multi-targeted natural antifungals. This study evaluates the antifungal activity of <i>Pelargonium graveolens</i> essential oil (PGEO), obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts from the Edough region (Annaba, Algeria), against various <i>Candida</i> species and its effects on human cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PGEO (yield: 0.23 ± 0.04% w/w) was characterized by GC-MS. Its antifungal activity was tested against five clinical <i>Candida</i> isolates (<i>C. albicans</i>, <i>C. kefyr</i>, <i>C. krusei (syn. Pichia kudriavzevii)</i>, <i>C. lusitaniae</i>, <i>C. tropicalis</i>) and reference strain <i>C. albicans</i> ATCC 10231. Effects on virulence enzymes (secreted aspartyl protease, phospholipase, esterase, hemolysin) were assessed via Pz/Hz indices on solid media. Anti-biofilm activity was assessed using crystal violet staining and metabolic viability assays. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in HEK-293 human embryonic kidney cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PGEO comprised mainly citronellol (28.68%), geraniol (5.35%), isomenthone (5.44%), and linalool (3.15%). It showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity (minimum inhibitory concentrations: 0.312-2.5 mg/mL; minimum fungicidal concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration ratios: 2), including against fluconazole-resistant <i>C. krusei</i>. At sub-inhibitory concentrations (minimum inhibitory concentration/4 to minimum inhibitory concentration/2); PGEO inhibited enzyme secretion by 21.30 to 65.00% depending on enzyme class and species ranging from 21.30% (esterase, <i>C. krusei</i>) to 65.00% (hemolysin, <i>C. albicans</i> ATCC 10231), reducing <i>Candida</i> adhesion and invasion. PGEO inhibited biofilm formation (48.7-97.8%) and metabolic activity (43.2-82.1% reduction at minimum inhibitory concentration). Cytotoxicity in HEK-293 cells yielded a CC₅₀ of 3.99 ± 0.12 mg/mL, with selectivity indices of 1.59-12.79 (SI = CC₅₀/MIC).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The essential oil of <i>Pelargonium graveolens</i> exhibits potent fungicidal, antibiofilm, and multi-target antivirulence activities against clinically relevant <i>Candida</i> species, including fluconazole-resistant <i>C. krusei</i>, while maintaining acceptable cytotoxicity toward normal mammalian cells (CC₅₀ = 3.99 ± 0.12 mg/mL; SI: 1.59-12.79). Its simultaneous inhibition of growth, key virulence enzymes, and biofilm formation at sub-inhibitory concentrations positions PGEO as a promising natural candidate for topical or adjunctive treatment of biofilm-associated candidiasis, pending <i>in vivo</i> validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73084,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in fungal biology","volume":"7 ","pages":"1868001"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13294198/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148347569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}