Open AccessActivity of Fabaceae species extracts against fungi and Leishmania: vatacarpan as a novel potent anti-Candida agent
Author(s) -
Dandara Braga Santana,
Raphaella Correia da Costa,
Renata Mendonça Araújo,
José Elías de Paula,
Edilberto R. Silveira,
Raimundo Braz-Filho,
Laila Salmen Espíndola
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
revista brasileira de farmacognosia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1981-528X
pISSN - 0102-695X
DOI - 10.1016/j.bjp.2015.07.012
Subject(s) - antimicrobial , biology , traditional medicine , candida albicans , fabaceae , minimum inhibitory concentration , bark (sound) , leishmania , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , parasite hosting , medicine , ecology , world wide web , computer science
Leishmaniasis and fungal infection treatment efficacy is limited by toxicity and ever increasing resistance to available drugs, requiring development of alternative compounds. The richness of Cerrado plant antimicrobial secondary metabolites justifies screening of Fabaceae species extracts: Enterolobium ellipticum Benth., Sclerolobium aureum (Tul.) Baill. and Vatairea macrocarpa (Benth.) Ducke, against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, yeasts and dermatophytes. Among the 26 extracts tested, more than 50% of the total demonstrated significant antifungal activity in comparison to the drug controls (minimal inhibitory concentration 0.12 to ≤31.25μg/ml). Six extracts capable of complete parasitic growth inhibition had the inhibitory concentration index for 50% values from 9.23 to 78.65μg/ml. The results led to the selection of the V. macrocarpa ethyl acetate root bark extract for chemical fractionation. This plant, traditionally referred to as angelim-do-cerrado or maleiteira, is used to treat superficial mycoses in Amazonia. A previously unreported pterocarpan vatacarpan together with the known compound musizin was isolated. Vatacarpan demonstrated a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 0.98μg/ml against Candida albicans ATCC 10231, and thus comparable or superior to fluconazole and amphotericin B. The results add to literature's information the ability of pterocarpans to act as antimicrobial agents