Thiosemicarbazone-Chalcones: A Fresh Fight Against Fungi

Fungal infections are becoming more common, affecting agriculture, food production, and human health. Scientists have recently created four new compounds called thiosemicarbazone-chalcones (TCs) to combat these fungi. They tested these TCs using a method called radial diffusion, which measures how well the compounds stop fungi from growing. The TCs were quite effective against a fungus called Aspergillus parasiticus. The one with a fluorine atom was especially powerful, blocking 62. 9% and 74. 4% of the fungus's growth at low and high concentrations, respectively. Another TC, without any extra atoms, was the best against another Aspergillus species, Aspergillus carbonarius. The scientists also tested these compounds against a group of fungi called Sporothrix, which can cause skin infections. The TCs worked well here too, with concentrations ranging from 0. 396 to 1. 777 µmol/ml needed to stop the fungi's growth. When it came to yeasts of the Candida genus, these TCs were most effective against Candida krusei. They could stop its growth with very low concentrations, ranging from 0. 011 to 0. 026 µmol/ml. This research shows that these new compounds could be a promising way to fight fungal infections. However, more studies are needed to understand their full potential and safety.