The Antifungal Effect of <i>Weissella confusa</i> WIKIM51 (Wilac D001) on Vaginal Epithelial Cells Infected by <i>Candida albicans</i>

oleh: Gain Lee, Young-Ah You, Abuzar Ansari, Yoon-Young Go, Sunwha Park, Young Min Hur, Soo-Min Kim, Sang Min Park, Young Ju Kim

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-03-01

Deskripsi

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a genital infection caused by <i>Candida albicans</i> (<i>C. albicans</i>). <i>Weissella confusa</i> WIKIM51 (Wilac D001) is known to be detected in dandelion kimchi, produce lactic acid, and have an anti−inflammatory ability; however, its diverse antifungal effects have not been studied. Here, we investigated the antifungal effect of Wilac D001 in <i>C. albicans</i> compared to <i>Lactobacillus</i> species on vaginal epithelial cells (VECs). To test the antifungal ability of Wilac D001 against <i>C. albicans</i> on VECs, an adhesion test, pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8) analysis, and a disk diffusion test were performed. The acid tolerance test was conducted to investigate the viability of Wilac D001 in various acidic conditions. <i>Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri)</i> and <i>L. rhamnosus</i> were used as positive controls. Wilac D001 showed the capacity to inhibit the colonization of <i>C. albicans</i> by adhering to VECs, with an inhibitory effect similar to that of positive controls. Both pro−inflammatory cytokines including IL−6 and IL−8 concentrations were significantly decreased when Wilac D001 was treated on <i>C. albicans</i>-infected VECs, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The result of the disk diffusion test indicates that the inhibitory ability of Wilac D001 is comparable to <i>L. reuteri</i> and <i>L. rhamnosus</i> on agar plates infected with <i>C. albicans</i>. Our results demonstrate that <i>Weissella confusa</i> WIKIM51 has antifungal effects against VECs infected by <i>C. albicans</i>.