Advances in Antifungal Drug Development

Dr. Nikhat Manzoor is a Professor in the Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. She has also served as a Visiting Scientist at Department of Oral Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand (2009-2010) and Associate Professor in the College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2014-2018). Her research interests include antifungal drug discovery and development, antifungal mode of action of natural compounds and their derivatives, drug resistance, and antifungal drug targets. She has completed five major research projects funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), University Grants Commission (UGC), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and CCRUM, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. She has delivered several invited talks, both in India and abroad and was awarded the prestigious DST-BOYSCAST Fellowship (2009) and DST-Young Scientist (2001-2004, 2004-2007). She has more than 25 years of teaching experience and has published more than 130 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. She has supervised 16 PhD students, 2 post-doctoral fellows and several post-graduate students. She is a life member of the Association of Microbiologists of India and Society of Biological Chemists.

Part I: Introduction.- An Update on Human Fungal Diseases: A Holistic Overview.- Part II: Plant Extracts and Essential Oils as antifungals.- Composition of different species of Lamiaceae plant family: A potential bio-source of terpenoids and antifungal agents.- Plant Essential Oils and their Active Ingredients.-  Essential Oils and Their Compounds for Applications in Fungal Diseases: Conventional and Non-conventional Approaches.- Antifungal efficacy of plant essential oils against Candida, Aspergillus and Cryptococcus species.- Unveiling the Potential of Essential Oils as Antifungal Agents Against Non-albicans Candida Species: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Implications.- Part III: Plant derived natural compounds as antifungals.- Molecules of natural origin as inhibitors of signal transduction pathway in Candida albicans.- Harnessing the antifungal potential of natural products.- Clinical Significance, Molecular Formation, and Natural Antibiofilm Agents of Candida albicans.- Futuristic Avenues in Candida Treatment: Exploiting Plant Derived agents as potent inhibitors of Candidiasis.- Antifungal efficacy of Terpenes and mechanism of action against human pathogenic fungi.- Part IV: Plant based  nanoparticles as antifungals.- Exploration of new plant-based nanoparticles with potential antifungal activity and their mode of action.- Green-synthesized nanoparticles: Characterization and Antifungal mechanism of action.- Green-synthesized nanoparticles: Antifungal efficacy and other applications.- Metal nanoparticles: management and control of phytopathogenic fungi.- Phytosynthesized Nanoparticles: Antifungal activity and mode of action.- Antifungal Efficacy of Plant-based Nanoparticles as a putative tool for antifungal therapy.- Part V: Plant based chemical derivatives as antifungals.- Antifungal Efficacy of Natural Product-Based Chemical Derivatives.- Therapeutic potential of phytochemicals and their derivatives as antifungal candidates: Recent discovery and development.- Bioactive Heterocyclic Analogs as Antifungal Agents: Recent Advances and Future Aspects.- Part VI: Natural products derived from microbes and other natural sources.- Bioactive potential of Streptomyces spp. against diverse pathogenic fungi.- Antifungal potential of bioactive compounds derived from microbes and other natural sources: Challenges and future scope.- Microbial and plant natural products and their antifungal targets.- Part VII: Toxicology of natural antifungals and other applications.- Toxicology of antifungal and antiviral drugs.- Natural Compounds Toxicity: An Egregiously Overlooked Topic.- Fungal infestation of biodegradable heritage material: application of conservatory treatments and characterization of the article.- Antifungals Discovery and Bioinformatics Tools.