Poly)phenolics are plant secondary metabolites, regularly consumed by humans (1 g/day) in the form of fruits, vegetables and beverages (tea, coffee, wine and juices) They are thought to be protective against infectious and degenerative diseases via their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities In recent years, the potential antimicrobial activity of (poly)phenolics has attracted increasing scientific attention, partially due to development of microbial resistance to commonly used antimicrobial agents. Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, is one of the major causes of life threatening, invasive candidiasis with estimated mortality rate of 46-75% The ability of C. albicans to grow as a 'biofilm' and its flexibility in adapting to different environmental conditions contributes to unacceptably high rates of morbidity and mortality, of which ineffectual antifungal therapy is a key factor. Therefore, alternative approaches to prevent biofilm formation or destruction and modulation of established biofilms are highly desirable. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential role of (poly)phenolics, in the prevention, and possibly management, of chronic oral and systemic fungal infections.
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Shahzad et al. (2014) studied this question.