Latest developments in assessing antifungal activity using TLC-bioautography: a review

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Natural products are a vital source for discovering new antifungal agents.
• Screening complex natural mixtures for bioactive compounds presents significant challenges.
• Bioautography, particularly Thin-Layer Chromatography-bioautography (TLC-bioautography), is a powerful tool for this purpose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of TLC-bioautography in the search for antifungal compounds from natural sources.
• To discuss recent advances, strategies, and challenges in antifungal bioautography.
• To present a comprehensive overview of approximately 100 natural antifungal compounds and their activities.

Main Methods:

• Review of various antifungal screening methods with emphasis on bioautography.
• Discussion of chromatographic developments including High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) microfractionation.
• Analysis of strategies for screening complex crude mixtures and identifying active compounds.

Main Results:

• Detailed presentation of the activities of around 100 natural antifungal compounds, including their minimum inhibitory quantities (MIQ).
• Highlighting the most effective natural compounds against key fungal species such as Candida, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, and Fusarium.
• Discussion of compound activities and their relevance in antifungal drug discovery.

Conclusions:

• TLC-bioautography is an effective technique for identifying antifungal compounds from natural sources, even within complex mixtures.
• Recent advancements have improved the sensitivity and scope of bioautographic methods.
• Future improvements in bioautography sensitivity and reproducibility are anticipated, further aiding natural product research.