Ricerc@Sapienza

Malassezia species are natural inhabitants of the healthy skin. However, under certain
conditions, they may cause or exacerbate several skin diseases. The ability of this fungus
to colonize or infect is determined by complex interactions between the fungal cell and
its virulence factors. This study aims to evaluate “in vitro” the hydrophobicity levels,
the adherence on a plastic surface and the biofilm formation of 16 clinical isolates of
Malassezia furfur. Cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH) levels were determined by twophase

The antifungal activity of Pelargonium capitatum essential oil (PCEO) and Cymbopogon martini essential oil (CMEO) against C.albicans were evaluated. The main components of essential oils were β-cytronellol 58.81% and geraniol 83.94% in PCEO and CMEO, respectively. PCEO was more activity than CMEO for all C.albicans strains tested with values MIC50 or MIC90 of 780 µg/ml. PCEO used in combination with fluconazole or CMEO shows synergistic effect with FICI values ≤ 0.5.

Candida albicans is the most common pathogenic fungus that is isolated in nosocomial infections in medically and immune-compromised patients. The ability of C. albicans to convert its form from yeast to hyphal morphology contributes to biofilm development that effectively shelters Candida against the action of antifungals molecules. In the last years, nanocomposites are the most promising solutions against drug-resistant microorganisms.