Development of Biofilms Is Diminished by via Obstruction of Cell Adhesion and Cell Lysis.

infections are often problematic to treat owing to antifungal resistance, as such infections are mostly associated with biofilms. The ability of to switch from a budding yeast to filamentous hyphae and to adhere to host cells or various surfaces supports biofilm formation. Previously, the ethanol extract from was reported to inhibit cell wall synthesis and cause depolarization and permeabilization of the cell membrane in . In this study, the extract was found to significantly reduce the initial stage of biofilms from 12 clinical isolates by 38.4%. Thus, to assess the action mechanism, the effect of the extract on the adhesion of cells to polystyrene and germ tube formation was investigated using a microscopic analysis. The density of the adherent cells was diminished following incubation with the extract in an acidic medium. Additionally, the -treated cells were mostly composed of less virulent pseudohyphae, and ruptured debris was found in the serum-containing medium. A quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that downregulated the expression of hypha-specific genes: by 65% ( = 0.004), by 34.9% ( = 0.001), by 29.2% ( = 0.002), and by 37.5% ( = 0.001), matching the microscopic analysis of the action on biofilm formation. Therefore, the current findings demonstrate that the ethanol extract is effective in inhibiting biofilms in vitro, suggesting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.