Synergistic Antifungal Activity of Synthetic Peptides and Antifungal Drugs against Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis Biofilms

and are biofilm-forming yeasts responsible for bloodstream infections that can cause death. Synthetic antimicrobial peptides (SAMPs) are considered to be new weapons to combat these infections, alone or combined with drugs. Here, two SAMPs, called -CBP -PepI and -CBP -PepIII, were tested alone or combined with nystatin (NYS) and itraconazole (ITR) against and biofilms. Furthermore, the mechanism of antibiofilm activity was evaluated by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopies. When combined with SAMPs, the results revealed a 2- to 4-fold improvement of NYS and ITR antibiofilm activity. Microscopic analyses showed cell membrane and wall damage and ROS overproduction, which caused leakage of internal content and cell death. Taken together, these results suggest the potential of -CBP -PepI and -CBP -PepIII as new drugs and adjuvants to increase the activity of conventional drugs for the treatment of clinical infections caused by and .