Integrated Approach for the Discovery of Antifungal and Antibiofilm Agents From Cerrado Plants.

The increasing incidence of Candida albicans infections, especially those involving drug-resistant strains, highlights the need for new antifungal agents. In this study, 108 plant extracts from native and endemic species of the Brazilian Cerrado were screened against C. albicans in both planktonic and biofilm forms (developing and mature). Eighteen extracts demonstrated significant antifungal and antibiofilm activity, particularly from species in the Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Celastraceae families. Extracts from Hymenaea stigonocarpa notably inhibited the yeast-to-hyphae transition, a key virulence factor. Using molecular networking (GNPS) and in silico tools (SIRIUS), 60 putative compounds were annotated, including xanthones, flavonoids and triterpenoids, with selected candidates showing favorable binding profiles in molecular docking analyses. This integrative metabolomic approach enabled the identification of bioactive scaffolds, reinforcing the Cerrado biome as a valuable source of structurally diverse metabolites for antifungal drug discovery.