Antifungal Mechanism of Polygodial

The primary antifungal action of polygodial comes in part from its ability to function as a nonionic surfactant, disrupting the lipid−protein interface of integral proteins and denaturing their conformation. As a result, the antifungal mechanism of this sesquiterpene dialdehyde is associated with the membrane functions or derangement of the membrane. For example, the glucose-induced medium acidification process of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was inhibited by polygodial, presumably caused by inhibition of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. However, the potent antifungal activity of polygodial results from its multiple functions. Keywords: Antifungal activity; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; polygodial; surfactant property; acidification; H+-ATPase; lipid−protein interface