ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The emergence of COVID-19 in the late of 2019 resulted in the massive screening of drugs, including natural products, to support the current vaccines. Apium and Foeniculum vegetables are members of the Apiaceae family that potentially used to be natural immunosuppressant. AIM: The purpose of this research is to analyze the phylogenetic position between these two plants as well as find out their secondary metabolites potency against COVID-19 main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLpro). METHODS: The phylogenetic analysis of Apium and Foeniculum from Indonesia was carried out based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the bioactive virtual screening assay was completed through AutoDock Vina software. CONCLUSION: Overall, Apium and Foeniculum have close relationships among the members of Apiaceae after maximum likelihood analysis. Furthermore, it also has 70 similar bioactive compounds that some of these potentially inhibit both of COVID-19 proteases.
ABSTRACT
We report the first case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated brain abscess caused by a rare Trichosporon species, T. dohaense. The patient was a known diabetic and had received systemic corticosteroids for the treatment of COVID-19. He underwent craniotomy and evacuation of abscess. The pus aspirate grew a basidiomycetous yeast, morphologically resembling Trichosporon species. The isolate was initially misidentified by VITEK® MS due to lack of mass spectral database of T. dohaense. Accurate identification was achieved by internal transcribed spacer-directed panfungal polymerase chain reaction. The patient had a favorable outcome following surgical intervention and antifungal therapy.