<i>Carex meyeriana</i> Kunth Extract Is a Novel Natural Drug against <i>Candida albicans</i>

Abstract

As a widely distributed plant in Northeast China, Carex meyeriana Kunth (CMK) is generally considered to have antibacterial properties; however, there is a lack of scientific evidence for this. Therefore, we investigated the chemical composition of CMK extract and its effect against C. albicans. A total of 105 compounds were identified in the alcohol extracts of CMK by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Most were flavonoids, with Luteolin being the most represented. Among them, 19 compounds are found in the C. albicans lysates. After treatment with CMK ethanol extract, a significant reduction in the number of C. albicans colonies was observed in a vaginal douche solution from day 5 (p C. albicans spores. The levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, and TNF-α in vaginal tissues all exhibited a significant decrease (p C. albicans infection. So, CMK strongly inhibits the growth of C. albicans and significantly reduces vaginal inflammation, making it a promising candidate for treating C. albicans infection.

Keywords

• <i>Carex meyeriana</i> Kunth
• <i>Candida albicans</i>
• vaginitis
• metabolomics