Equitable antifungal strategies: lactic acid bacteria-derived metabolites from human microbiota as sustainable alternatives against resistant fungal pathogens
1
Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1234
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Fungal infections are a major but often neglected contributor to global morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where access to effective antifungal therapies is limited and antifungal resistance is rapidly increasing. Current antifungal treatments are often costly, toxic, and scarce, highlighting urgent global health inequities in the management of fungal diseases. Microbiota-derived interventions represent a promising approach to addressing these gaps. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from human breast milk and neonatal faeces and to explore their applicability as equitable, low-cost alternatives for the management of drug-resistant fungal infections.
METHODS:
Six LAB strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A084, L. pentosus A4c and B1b, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus A072, L. paracasei A017, and Pediococcus pentosaceus A074 were evaluated for antifungal activity against clinically relevant fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida vulgaris, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum) using agar well diffusion and overlay assays. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterize the antifungal metabolites. Molecular docking (AutoDock Vina) and polypharmacology analyses targeting key fungal proteins (CYP51 and FKS1) were conducted, with experimental co-culture assays used for validation.
RESULTS:
All LAB strains demonstrated broad-spectrum antifungal activity against clinically important fungi, including azole-resistant C. glabrata. L. plantarum A084 showed the strongest inhibitory effect (35 mm zone of inhibition). Organic acid profiling identified lactic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acids as major metabolites. Phenyllactic acid exhibited the strongest multi-target binding affinity (−6.58 kcal/mol), and six metabolites displayed polypharmacological potential. Co-culture assays confirmed significant reductions in fungal populations after 96 hours, supporting the translational relevance of these findings.
CONCLUSIONS:
LAB-derived metabolites demonstrate strong antifungal activity against drug-resistant fungal pathogens. These findings highlight the potential of LAB-based natural products as non-toxic, affordable, and sustainable therapeutic alternatives for combating resistant-fungal infections, with important implications for global public health.
Fungal infections are a major but often neglected contributor to global morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where access to effective antifungal therapies is limited and antifungal resistance is rapidly increasing. Current antifungal treatments are often costly, toxic, and scarce, highlighting urgent global health inequities in the management of fungal diseases. Microbiota-derived interventions represent a promising approach to addressing these gaps. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal potential of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from human breast milk and neonatal faeces and to explore their applicability as equitable, low-cost alternatives for the management of drug-resistant fungal infections.
METHODS:
Six LAB strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A084, L. pentosus A4c and B1b, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus A072, L. paracasei A017, and Pediococcus pentosaceus A074 were evaluated for antifungal activity against clinically relevant fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida vulgaris, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum) using agar well diffusion and overlay assays. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterize the antifungal metabolites. Molecular docking (AutoDock Vina) and polypharmacology analyses targeting key fungal proteins (CYP51 and FKS1) were conducted, with experimental co-culture assays used for validation.
RESULTS:
All LAB strains demonstrated broad-spectrum antifungal activity against clinically important fungi, including azole-resistant C. glabrata. L. plantarum A084 showed the strongest inhibitory effect (35 mm zone of inhibition). Organic acid profiling identified lactic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acids as major metabolites. Phenyllactic acid exhibited the strongest multi-target binding affinity (−6.58 kcal/mol), and six metabolites displayed polypharmacological potential. Co-culture assays confirmed significant reductions in fungal populations after 96 hours, supporting the translational relevance of these findings.
CONCLUSIONS:
LAB-derived metabolites demonstrate strong antifungal activity against drug-resistant fungal pathogens. These findings highlight the potential of LAB-based natural products as non-toxic, affordable, and sustainable therapeutic alternatives for combating resistant-fungal infections, with important implications for global public health.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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