In accordance with the framework of the Circular Blue Bioeconomy in the Mediterranean region, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biotransformation of blue swimming crab (Portunus segnis) residues obtained from the port of Sfax by an extracellular chitinase produced by Nocardiopsis halophila strain TN-X8 isolated from Chott El Jerid (Tozeur, Tunisia). From the analysis of multiple extremophilic Actinomycetota, it was determined that strain TN-X8 exclusively utilized 60 g/L of raw blue swimming crab as its carbon and energy source, achieving a chitinase activity of approximately 950 U/mL following a 6-day incubation period at 40 °C. Pure chitinase, designated as ChiA-Nh30, was obtained after heat treatment, followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation and Sephacryl® S-200 column chromatography. The maximum ChiA-Nh30 activity was observed at pH 3 and 75 °C. Interestingly, compared with cyclohexamidine, ChiA-Nh30 showed a good antifungal effect against four pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, when using colloidal chitin as substrate, ChiA-Nh30 demonstrated a higher degree of catalytic efficiency than the commercially available Chitodextrinase®. In addition, ChiA-Nh30 could be immobilized by applying encapsulation and encapsulation-adsorption techniques. The kaolin and charcoal used acted as excellent binders, resulting in improved ChiA-Nh30 stability. For the immobilized ChiA-Nh30, the yield of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomers released from 20% (w/v) blue swimming crab residues increased by 3.1 (kaolin) and 2.65 (charcoal) times, respectively.

Hinokitiol is a natural broad-spectrum antimicrobial monoterpenoid, which is widely used as an antiseptic in food, cosmetics and other products. In the present study, the toxic actions of hinokitiol to the plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were investigated. The EC50 value for mycelial growth inhibition was 2.63 μg/mL, and there was no positive or negative cross-resistance between hinokitiol and carbendazim. The emulsifiable concentrate of 30% hinokitiol was prepared, which has excellent application prospect in the prevention of sclerotinia and gray mould. Hinokitiol is a promising spray fungicide for stems and leaves rather than seeds and roots.

Gut microbial communities are part of the regulatory array of various processes within their hosts, ranging from nutrition to pathogen control. Recent evidence shows that dung beetle\'s gut microbial communities release substances with antifungal activity. Because of the enormous diversity of gut microorganisms in dung beetles, there is a possibility of discovering novel compounds with antifungal properties. We tested the antifungal activity mediated by gut microbial communities of female dung beetles against nine phytopathogenic fungi strains (Colletotrichum asianum-339, C. asianum-340, C. asianum-1, C. kahawae-390, C. karstii-358, C. siamense-220, Fusarium oxysporum-ATCC338, Nectria pseudotrichia-232, Verticillium zaelandica-22). Our tests included the gut microbial communities of three species of dung beetles: Canthon cyanellus (roller beetle), Digitonthophagus gazella (burrower beetle), and Onthophagus batesi (burrower beetle), and we followed the dual confrontation protocol, i.e., we challenged each fungal strain with the microbial communities of each species of beetles in Petri dishes containing culture medium. Our results showed that gut microbial communities of the three dung beetle species exhibit antifungal activity against at least seven of the nine phytopathogenic fungal strains. The gut microbial communities of Onthophagus batesi significantly decreased the mycelial growth of the nine phytopathogenic fungi strains; the gut microbial communities of Canthon cyanellus and Digitonthophagus gazella significantly reduced the mycelial growth of seven strains. These results provide a basis for investigating novel antifungal substances within gut microbial communities of dung beetles.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are interesting chemical compounds that have a wide range of industrial and scientific applications. They have extraordinary properties, such as the tunability of many of their physical properties and, accordingly, their activities; and the ease of synthesis methods. Hence, they became important building blocks in catalysis, extraction, electrochemistry, analytics, biotechnology, etc. This study determined antifungal activities of various imidazolium-based ionic liquids against yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae via minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) estimation method. Increasing the length of the alkyl group attached to the imidazolium cation, enhanced the antifungal activity of the ILs, as well as their ability of the disruption of the cell membrane integrity. FTIR studies performed on the S. cerevisiae cells treated with the ILs revealed alterations in the biochemical composition of these cells. Interestingly, the alterations in fatty acid content occurred in parallel with the increase in the activity of the molecules upon the increase in the length of the attached alkyl group. This trend was confirmed by statistical analysis and machine learning methodology. The classification of antifungal activities based on FTIR spectra of S. cerevisiae cells yielded a prediction accuracy of 83%, indicating the pharmacy and medicine industries could benefit from machine learning methodology. Furthermore, synthesized ionic compounds exhibit significant potential for pharmaceutical and medical applications.

Candida ranks as among the most frequently encountered fungal infections that associated with high morbidity and mortality. Quinoxaline derivatives are a group of small molecules that showed a promising antimicrobial activity. This study aimed to investigate the fungicidal effects of 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol against Candida in comparison with Amphotericin B in vitro as a reference. Also, we aim to assess the efficacy of 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol in vivo using mice oral candidiasis model. Fifty-six Candida isolates were subjected to susceptibility testing by broth microdilution method for 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol and Amphotericin B. Therefore, Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were assessed and compared. The oral candidiasis mice model was used to evaluate the activity of 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol in vivo. Microbiological evaluation of progression and ELISA were used in this study. 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol was more effective than Amphotericin B against most clinical isolates of Candida albicans. Higher effectiveness was seen against Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis isolates. However, the efficiency against Candida tropicalis isolates varies. 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol was also effective against Pichia kudriavzevii and Clavispora lusitaniae. 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol showed a good efficacy in mice model against C. albicans cells ATCC 10231. 3-hydrazinoquinoxaline-2-thiol has shown promising antifungal and anti-inflammatory activity against different Candida species. More tests and experiments are needed.

The chemical investigation of the methanol trunk bark extract of Erythrina senegalensis led to the isolation of a new flavanone, 5,7,4\'-trihydroxy-3\',5\'-bis(3-methylbutadienyl)flavanone (trivially named senegalensisnone) (1), together with seven known compounds, abyssinone-V-4\'-O-methyl ether (2), abyssinone V (3), Calopocarpin (4), genistein (5) mixture of stigmasterol (6) and β-sitosterol (7) and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8). The structures of the isolates were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses (1D and 2D NMR, ESI-MS) and by comparison with previously reported data. The absolute configuration of 1 was deduced based on comparison of its experimental CD with that of similar compound. All the compounds were tested for their antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. Compound 4 displayed weak antibacterial activity against Salmonella enteritidis with MIC value of 62.5 μg/mL. All the isolates were found to be inactive as antioxidant agents in the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays.

UNASSIGNED: Sodium pheophorbide a (SPA) is a natural plant-derived photosensitizer, with high photoactivated antifungal activity against some phytopathogenic fungi. However, its fungicidal effect on Diaporthe mahothocarpus, a novel pathogen that causes Camellia oleifera leaf spot blight, is unclear.
UNASSIGNED: In the present study, we explored its inhibitory effects on spore germination and mycelial growth of D. mahothocarpus. Then we determined its effects on the cell membrane, mycelial morphology, redox homeostasis, and cell death through bioassay. Finally, RNA-seq was used further to elucidate its mode of action at the transcriptional level.
UNASSIGNED: We found that SPA effectively inhibited the growth of D. mahothocarpus, with half-maximal effective concentrations to inhibit mycelial growth and spore germination of 1.059 and 2.287 mg/mL, respectively. After 1.0 mg/mL SPA treatment, the conductivity and malondialdehyde content of D. mahothocarpus were significantly increased. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicated that SPA significantly affected the morphology and ultrastructure of D. mahothocarpus hyphae, revealing that SPA can destroy the mycelial morphology and cell structure, especially the cell membrane of D. mahothocarpus. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed that SPA significantly suppressed the expression of genes involved in morphology, cell membrane permeability, and oxidative stress. Then, we also found that SPA significantly promoted the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in of D. mahothocarpus, while it decreased the content of reduced glutathione, inhibited the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and exacerbated DNA damage. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining also confirmed that 1.0 mg/mL SPA could significantly induce apoptosis and necrosis.
UNASSIGNED: Generally, SPA can induce ROS-mediated oxidative stress and cell death, thus destroying the cell membrane and hyphal morphology, and ultimately inhibiting mycelial growth, which indicates that SPA has multiple modes of action, providing a scientific basis for the use of SPA as an alternative plant-derived photoactivated fungicide against C. oleifera leaf spot blight.

A study targeting novel antifungal metabolites identified potent in vitro antifungal activity against key plant pathogens in acetone extracts of Streptomyces sp. strain CA-296093. Feature-based molecular networking revealed the presence in this extract of antimycin-related compounds, leading to the isolation of four new compounds: escuzarmycins A-D (1-4). Extensive structural elucidation, employing 1D and 2D NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, Marfey\'s analysis, and NOESY correlations, confirmed their structures. The bioactivity of these compounds was tested against six fungal phytopathogens, and compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated strong efficacy, particularly against Zymoseptoria tritici, with compound 3 exhibiting the highest potency (EC50: 11 nM). Both compounds also displayed significant antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum acutatum, with compound 4 proving to be the most potent. Despite moderate cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell line HepG2, compounds 3 and 4 emerge as promising fungicides for combating Septoria tritici blotch, anthracnose, and gray mold.

The aim of this review is to present the potential application of camphor-a bicyclic monoterpene ketone-in the prevention of skin infections. Skin diseases represent a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by prolonged symptoms that significantly diminish the quality of life. They affect the dermis, the epidermis, and even subcutaneous tissue. They very often have a bacterial or fungal background. Therapy for dermatological skin disorders is difficult and long-term. Therefore, it is important to find a compound, preferably of natural origin, that (i) prevents the initiation of this infection and (ii) supports the skin\'s repair process. Based on its documented anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-acne, anesthetic, strengthening, and warming properties, camphor can be used as a preventative measure in dermatological infectious diseases and as a component in medical and cosmetic products. This work discusses the structure and physicochemical properties of camphor, its occurrence, and methods of obtaining it from natural sources as well as through chemical synthesis. The use of camphor in industrial preparations is also presented. Additionally, after a detailed review of the literature, the metabolism of camphor, its interactions with other medicinal substances, and its antimicrobial properties against bacteria and fungi involved in skin diseases are discussed with regard to their resistance.

Fluconazole (2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,3-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol), which was patented in 1981 and introduced for commercial use in 1988, is a widely utilized antifungal drug whose mechanism of action involves inhibition of the activity of 14-α lanosterol demethylase. Its safety and effectiveness have established it as one of the most frequently employed antifungal agents. Resistance to azole antifungal drugs is becoming more common. It may be related to a mutation of the gene encoding the enzyme. To address this issue, molecules with modifications in three main regions of fluconazole, namely the hydroxyl group, the aromatic ring, and the 1,2,4-triazole rings, have been synthesized in an attempt to create more potent antifungal drugs. These modifications aim at enhancing the effectiveness against microorganisms and improving pharmacokinetic parameters and safety profiles of the synthesized compounds. The present review explores the synthesis of fluconazole derivatives, accompanied by insights into the results of biological studies evaluating the therapeutic effects of these compounds.