Exploring alternative therapeutic strategies against drug-resistant Candida albicans for immunocompromised patients

According to the latest surveys it is evident that the world is in the midst of an antibiotic crisis owing to the continuously mutating microbes- and fungal infections are really becoming harder to manage in the present era. The threat of fungal pathogens and antifungal resistance is a growing global issue. This paper thus reviews the current scenario, on Candida albicans a notoriously opportunistic fungi as well as the commonest among the Candida genera. Knowing in details about C. albicans ability to combat the modern-day available drugs like azole, echinocandins, polyenes etc., through its various morphological forms as well as other combatting mechanisms like drug efflux pump upregulation, modification of target sites, modification of various proteins etc. is a stepping stone to search or formulate new drug alternatives. There may be several contributory factors that might have resulted in recurrent infection of such species for their enhancing drug resistance capability. One such factor is the capability to form biofilms, persister cells and perform dimorphism. Biofilms are feared particularly due to its device associated infection capability and for its greater adherence capability to surfaces including human bodies. So, considering the present scenario the search for newer and better antifungal drugs has become the need of the hour, particularly of plant origin as they render lesser toxicity even at higher dosages. Almost 26 phytochemicals are listed in this review with their potentiality to serve as an alternative to the commercial drugs available against C.albicans highlighting their basic chemical structure, their probable inhibitory mechanism as well as their effective MIC and MFC values. Candida albicans ability to combat the modern-day available drugs through its various morphological forms. Plant phytochemicals the newest hope to combat Candida albicans.