A EFICÁCIA DO CRANBERRY E SUAS PROPRIEDADES NO TRATAMENTO DA CANDIDÍASE VULVOVAGINAL

Um estudo de revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

The incidence of fungal infections has been significantly increasing in recent years, and the yeast Candida albicans is responsible for the majority of these infections. Due to various risk factors, the individual's conditions can vary, such as diabetes, pregnancy, use of dental or cardiac prostheses, prolonged treatments with antibiotics or corticosteroids, weakened immune system, malnutrition, contact with the sick, among others. The expression of certain virulence factors, such as adhesins, proteases, and phospholipases, phenotypic variations, and the formation of microbial biofilms, facilitate tissue penetration and confer greater pathogenicity to these yeasts. Growing in a biofilm, the cells have an altered phenotype and extraordinary resistance to many antifungals, making it difficult to eradicate the infectious process. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is an infection of the vulva and vagina caused by the commensal fungus that inhabits the vaginal and digestive mucosa, which grows when the environment becomes favorable for its development. One of its main symptoms is the appearance of a thick, curd-like, whitish discharge, usually accompanied by local irritation. For this reason, some studies show the effectiveness of Cranberry as an auxiliary in the treatment of this condition, whose medicinal properties have aroused interest in the multiprofessional field.