Resumen

MATEO ALDAMA, José Alberto; RODRIGUEZ PEREZ, Betsabé; GONZALEZ GALLARDO, Sofía  y  CRUZ SANCHEZ, Tonatiuh Alejandro. Structural damage in Cryptococcus neoformans caused by a Mexican propolis. Nova scientia [online]. 2020, vol.12, n.25, 00024.  Epub 17-Feb-2021. ISSN 2007-0705.  https://doi.org/10.21640/ns.v12i25.2557.

Propolis is a product of bees that collect from vegetation and that shows antifungal action due to the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast that produces an opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompetent hosts such as immunocompromised. Due to the resistance that C. neoformans has presented to commercial antifungals, it is necessary to study other substances of natural origin with fungicidal action.

In this study the damage to the structure of C. neoformans, from a clinical isolation, produced by an ethanolic extract of Mexican propolis was evaluated by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The phenolic compounds and flavonoids of the resin were quantified; the evaluation of antifungal activity was carried out by means of the radial growth inhibition test and the macrodilution method was used to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MIC and MFC).

The Mexican propolis extract proved to have an optimal content of phenols and flavonoids; a concentration of 2.5 mg/mL of the propolis extract causes the formation of invaginations and irregularities on the surface of the fungus, causing a decrease in size.

The anticryptococcal activity of a propolis extract is demonstrated by showing damage to the cellular structure, which may provide the prospect of a therapeutic alternative for patients with various diseases caused by this fungus, considering expanding research on the mechanism of action of propolis as an antifungal.

Palabras llave : propolis; Cryptococcus neoformans; scanning electron microscopy; antifungic activity; Apis mellifera; phenolic compounds; flavonoids; cryptococcosis; bees; health; compounds; antifungals.

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