<i>Curcuma longa</i> L. Extract and Photodynamic Therapy are Effective against <i>Candida</i> spp. and Do Not Show Toxicity <i>In Vivo</i>
Vanessa Marques Meccatti, Larissa de Souza Moura, Juliana Guerra Pinto, Juliana Ferreira–Strixino, Amjad Abu Hasna, Lívia Mara Alves Figueiredo-Godoi, Juliana Campos Junqueira, María Cristina Marcucci, Lucas de Paula Ramos, Cláudio Antônio Talge Carvalho, Cesar Rogério Pucci, Luciane Dias de Oliveira
Abstract
Radiotherapy induces a higher level of Candida spp. colonization, resulting in oral candidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the phototransformation potential of the glycolic extract of Curcuma longa (C. longa) ; the antifungal activity of C. longa , curcumin, and antifungal photodynamic therapy (aPDT) with blue light‐emitting diodes “LED” on Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis in vitro ; and the toxicity of C. longa and curcumin in Galleria mellonella model. In order to confirm the light absorption capacity of the C. longa extract, its phototransformation potential was evaluated. The antifungal effect of C. longa , curcumin, and aPDT was evaluated over Candida spp. Finally, the toxicity of C. longa and curcumin was evaluated on the Galleria mellonella model. The data were analyzed using the GraphPad Prism 5.0 software considering α = 5%. It was found that C. longa , curcumin, and aPDT using blue LED have an antifungal effect over C. albicans and C. tropicalis . The extract of C. longa 100 mg/mL and curcumin 200 μ g/mL do not show toxicity on Galleria mellonella model.