<i>In vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> activity of sodium houttuyfonate and sodium new houttuyfonate against <i>Candida auris</i> infection by affecting adhesion, aggregation, and biofilm formation abilities

Recently, the annual proportion of non-<i>C. albicans</i> infections has been rising. The most notable characteristic of <i>C. auris</i> is its resistance to drugs, including multidrug resistance, which results in treatment failures and poses significant challenges in controlling its spread. Sodium houttuyfonate (SH) and sodium new houttuyfonate (SNH) are effective and stable derivatives of houttuynin (decyl aldehyde) extracted from traditional Chinese herbal medicine Houttuynia cordata, both possessing antifungal and antibacterial pharmacological activities. However, the inhibitory effects of SH and SNH on <i>C. auris</i> remain unclear. Through <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> approaches, we have demonstrated that SH and SNH can effectively inhibit the growth, adhesion, aggregation, and biofilm formation to treat its colonization and pathological damage to the host of <i>C. auris</i>. Thus, our findings provide new insights into possible options for clinical applications in the anti-<i>C. auris</i>.