Therapeutic Effect of Propolis against Biofilm Gene Expression in Candida albicans

The sticky substance called propolis is made from plants and is produced by honeybees. It has been used as a folk remedy since ancient times, and it has numerous pharmaceutical benefits, such as antibacterial and antifungal. The objective of this work was to determine the impact of propolis on the expression of three genes (Ece1, Sap5, and Als3) known to be implicated in the development of C.albicans biofilms and define the minimum inhibitory concentration of propolis required for this purpose. The XTT test was used to assess the anti-biofilm activity of propolis in order to ascertain the formation of biofilm on 100 C. albicans isolates from stool samples and calculate the minimum inhibitory concentration of propolis that inhibits the biofilm of C. albicans during 24 and 48 h. Finally, the impact of propolis on the expression of the Ece1, Sap5, and Als3 genes in C. albicans was examined using a real-time polymerase chain reaction and compared with the results that appeared in the gene expression of the biofilm C. albicans untreated propolis during 24 and 48 h, and it was considered a control. Through comparison, biofilm formation was found to decrease as propolis concentration and time increased. Accordingly, the MIC of propolis was 40% w/v, and its minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was 50% (w/v) in biofilm-forming C .albicans. Additionally, gene expression level analysis revealed a decrease in Ece1, Sap5, and Als3 expression levels with propolis treatment during 24 and 48h.