Hibiscus sabdariffa Extract Inhibits Adhesion, Biofilm Initiation and Formation in Candida albicans

Microbial biofilms act as reservoirs for pathogenic sessile microbes which reside inside the three dimensional matrix of the biofilm, and are thus protected against anti-microbial drugs. Most of the anti-microbial drugs fail to completely abolish the biofilm associated infections. In the present study, we provide evidence of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Hs) extract having possible anti-microbial activity, with emphasis on Candida albicans biofilm. The Hs extract was shown to be effective against C. albicans pre-formed biofilm at 3.125 mg/ml and was able to inhibit the hyphae initiation and adherence of cells. Furthermore, Hs extract was able to reduce the C. albicans load in C. elegans by effectively killing the Candida cells thereby reducing the viable colony count and effectively increasing the lifespan of worms. The percentage of viable hatched progeny of worms exposed to Hs extract (both at conc. 1.5 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml), was also comparable to that of the control untreated eggs. The Hs extract was also found to be significantly effective against fluconazole resistant C. albicans isolated from patients. Thus, we, for the first time, propose Hs extract as a prospective drug candidate and substitute for eradicating pre-formed biofilm and inhibiting the growth of C. albicans.