Assessment of antifungal activity and cytotoxicity of Cn-AMP1-derived peptides against Candida albicans
Main Article Content
Abstract
Candida albicans is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen associated with increasing antifungal resistance and limited treatment options. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer a promising alternative due to their membrane-targeting mechanisms and low likelihood of inducing resistance. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal efficacy and safety profiles of six synthetic peptides derived from the natural peptide Cn-AMP1, including CAP-X, CAP-Y, and four leucine-substituted derivatives. These peptides were synthesized via Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis and tested in vitro against C. albicans ATCC 10231 using broth microdilution assays to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC). CAP-Y exhibited the strongest antifungal activity, followed by CAP-X, while the leucine-substituted derivatives showed similar or reduced potency. Hemolysis assays revealed that CAP-X and CAP-Y induced minimal hemolysis (< 10% at 512µM), and MTS assays confirmed no significant cytotoxicity on 4T1 murine breast cancer cells at concentrations up to 512µM. These findings suggest that Cn-AMP1-derived peptides, particularly CAP-Y and CAP-X, possess moderate antifungal activity with acceptable safety profiles and may serve as lead candidates for the development of novel antifungal therapeutics.
Article Details
Keywords
Antimicrobial peptides, Candida albicans, Cytotoxicity, Hemolysis, Antifungal activity, Peptide therapeutics
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