While
fungal infections can pose serious health concerns, and in some even cases
certain cancers, recent research into edible plant-based products may help
boost the effectiveness of antifungal medications in thwarting these contagions. In a study issued by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), natural compounds known as benzo analogs were found to
reduce the ability of certain fungi to defend themselves against medicinal
agents, reducing the overall dosage necessary to combat these pathogens.
“The
mission of our research unit is to reduce or eliminate mycotoxin contamination
of agricultural commodities, focusing on tree nuts like almonds, pistachios,
walnuts, and figs,” said Dr. Jong Heon Kim of the Agricultural Research Service
(ARS). “We focus on the development of
environmentally compatible methods and technology. Therefore, natural compounds in edible plants
could be good sources for doing our mission.”
Since
2004, Jong, alongside Dr. Bruce C. Campbell, now retired, has been researching
a means of fighting infectious fungi which can affect both agricultural crops
as well as people. For instance,
Aspergillus, a versatile fungus, comes in several different forms which can
infect crops like corn, cotton, and different nuts, and can initiate severe
allergic reactions and other complications if ingested by humans. The compounds which Jong and his team are
researching would not cure these maladies, but would aid in lowering a fungus’s
ability to withstand medical treatment, hopefully preventing or lessening the
effect of an infection.
According
to Jong, the application of these plant composites would enhance the
effectiveness of existing antifungal agents through a process known as
chemosensitization, which debilitates a fungus’s defense mechanisms. “A chemosensitizing agent does not
necessarily require a great degree of antimicrobial potency, itself, to be
effective,” Jong explained. “The chief
value, especially by safe natural compounds, is lowering of dosage levels of
commercial drugs required for control of pathogens, thus lowering costs and
risks of negative side effects.”
As
Jong indicated, lowering the dosage of antifungal medication necessary to fight
fungus-induced illnesses would decrease the cost associated with such
commercial drugs, as well as reduce the chance of suffering undesirable side
effects. “By identifying more potent
natural compounds with corresponding molecular or cellular targets,” he stated,
“this approach will further lower dosage levels of commercial drugs required
for control of pathogens.”
Still
a matter for continued research, though, is how these fungal-fighting compounds
will be utilized or administered. In
some cases they may be paired with existing pesticides to prevent the loss of
staple crops to harmful fungi. And in
the case of people, these compounds may be taken orally or applied topically in
order to treat infected sights. At the
moment, the concentration at which these natural products are needed to target
and disrupt fungal infections is higher than an actual dose of antifungal
medicine, and so Jong and his colleagues are hoping to identify compositions
with higher potencies to perform the same job for a fraction of the amount.
Overall,
Jong and his team hope that using natural plant products to curb fungal
infections will someday be accepted as a therapeutic means of treating these
afflictions. “Chemosensitization could
make the use of toxic antifungal drugs or fungicides more attractive as a
chemotherapeutic,” Jong commented, “and to overcome development of pathogen
resistance to conventional antimicrobial agents.”
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