{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T01:57:42Z","timestamp":1792807062583,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,28]],"date-time":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1677542400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Candida albicans is associated with serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Terpenes are natural-product derivatives, widely studied as antifungal alternatives. In a previous study reported by our group, the antifungal activity of \u03b1-pinene against C. albicans was verified; \u03b1-pinene presented an MIC between 128\u2013512 \u00b5g\/mL. In this study, we evaluate time-kill, a mechanism of action using in silico and in vitro tests, anti-biofilm activity against the Candida albicans, and toxicity against human cells (HaCaT). Results from the molecular-docking simulation demonstrated that thymidylate synthase (\u221252 kcal mol\u22121), and \u03b4-14-sterol reductase (\u221244 kcal mol\u22121) presented the best interactions. Our in vitro results suggest that \u03b1-pinene\u2019s antifungal activity involves binding to ergosterol in the cellular membrane. In the time-kill assay, the antifungal activity was not time-dependent, and also inhibited biofilm formation, while rupturing up to 88% of existing biofilm. It was non-cytotoxic to human keratinocytes. Our study supports \u03b1-pinene as a candidate to treat fungal infections caused by C. albicans.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics12030480","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,28]],"date-time":"2023-02-28T03:00:38Z","timestamp":1677553238000},"page":"480","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["\u03b1-Pinene: Docking Study, Cytotoxicity, Mechanism of Action, and Anti-Biofilm Effect against Candida albicans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Daniela","family":"Bomfim de Barros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil"},{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Para\u00edba Federal University, Jo\u00e3o Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil"},{"name":"Human Immunology Research and Education Group-GEPIH, Technical School of Health, Federal University of Para\u00edba, 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Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1866-4107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luciana","family":"Scotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cheminformatics Laboratory, Postgraduate Program in Natural Products and Synthetic Bioactive, Quality Management, University Hospital, Federal University of Para\u00edba, Jo\u00e3o Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9547-0886","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edeltrudes","family":"de Oliveira Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Para\u00edba Federal University, Jo\u00e3o Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marianna","family":"Vieira Sobral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Program in Natural Products and Synthetic Bioactive, Federal University of Para\u00edba, Jo\u00e3o Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"L\u00facio Roberto","family":"Can\u00e7ado Castellano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Immunology Research and Education Group-GEPIH, Technical School of Health, Federal University of Para\u00edba, Jo\u00e3o Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5483-3612","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juliana","family":"Moura-Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnol\u00f3gicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunci\u00f3n, San Lorenzo 111421, Paraguay"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2057-4821","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felipe","family":"Queiroga Sarmento Guerra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of 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