Assessment of Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. and Stachys palustris L. extracts influence against Candida parapsilosis

The opportunistic fungi Candida parapsillosis are increasingly causing various diseases. They can be commensals, but, having unique properties of invasiveness, virulence and antifungal sensitivity, which is characteristic of fungi of this genus in general, in newborns and people with weakened immunity or those who use catheters, they become destroyers of body tissues. These fungi are capable of forming strong biofilms on catheters and other implanted medical devices, threatening the lives of patients undergoing invasive medical procedures. In the era of the spread of antibiotic resistance, the search for auxiliary and alternative means to avoid dissemination or treatment of the disease after the detection of the causative agent is urgent. These can be substances of plant origin, in particular, little-studied, from the point of view of antifungal properties, Stachys palustris and Physocarpus opulifolius. Aqueous-ethanol (AE) extracts from these species have been found to have potential anti-candidal properties against Candida parapsilosis, which were determined by agar diffusion and media addition methods. AE extracts of these species inhibited the growth of Candida parapsilosis more than aqueous extracts. Stachys palustris extracts made with 70 % and 95 % AE and Physocarpus opulifolius extracts made with 60 % and 95 % AE caused diameter of inhibition zone (IZ) greater than 13 mm, but their effect was half that of fluconazole and slightly more, compared to tinctures of sage and eucalyptus. An extract of Stachys palustris made with 95 % aqueous ethanol was most effective, causing IZ, of up to 20 mm. The extract of S. palustris prepared with 95 % ethanol suppresses the growth of the culture when present in the medium in ratios of 1:2, 1:4 and 1:6, and the similarly prepared extract of Physocarpus opulifolius – 1:2 and 1:4. The rapid microplate method for determining the effect of plant extracts on microorganisms with resazurin can be used only after additional confirmation, since the extracts themselves are able to regenerate the indicator.