Candida spp. infections are recurrent in oncology patients, mainly due to antineoplastic therapies that cause immunosuppression. Recent studies suggest that some Candida species, beyond their opportunistic nature, may actively participate in pro-carcinogenic processes by producing genotoxic substances, promoting chronic inflammation, and altering the microbiome. Given the growing resistance to conventional antifungals and the immunosuppression caused by cancer therapy, there is a strong need for studies of new compounds with distinct chemical structures. Imidazolium salts (IS) have been investigated for their ability to modulate antifungal activity and as potential antineoplastic agents. This study aimed to investigate and analyze the activity of N-benzyl-substituted IS against Candida spp. isolates. Two imidazolium salts, C16BnImCl and C18BnImCl, were tested at different concentrations (1024–1 µg/mL), using miconazole 4% in DMSO as control, and the following strains: C. albicans ATCC44858, CPF00107, CFP00283, CFP00292, and CFP00895; C. glabrata ATCC2001; C. tropicalis CFP00319 and ATCC13803; C. krusei ATCC34135; and C. parapsilosis CFP00893. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the IS were determined using bioassays according to international standards (CLSI M27-A2 and CLSI M38A) with the serial dilution method. Ninety-six-well plates were incubated at 37°C for 48 h. Results were read at 24 h and 48 h. The MIC of C16BnImCl and C18BnImCl was 1 µg/mL for C. albicans CFP00107, CFP00283, CFP00895, and CFP00292. The MIC of the tested IS was also 1 µg/mL for C. tropicalis CFP00319, C. krusei ATCC34135, and C. parapsilosis CFP00893. For C. glabrata ATCC2001, C. tropicalis ATCC13803, and C. albicans ATCC44858, the MICs of C16BnImCl and C18BnImCl were 1 µg/mL and 2 µg/mL, respectively. Miconazole showed MICs ranging from 4–8 µg/mL for most Candida spp., except for C. krusei ATCC34135, for which the MIC was 32 µg/mL. N-benzyl-substituted imidazolium salts inhibit the yeast growth of multiple Candida spp. isolates, showing MICs lower than miconazole, a commercially available compound widely used in clinical practice as an antifungal.
Schrekker et al. (Sun,) studied this question.