The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. is used in the Chapada do Araripe region of Brazil for the treatment of genitourinary candidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the ...chemical composition, antifungal activity, reduction of fungal virulence, and the preliminary toxicity of the fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum tested against three Candida yeasts. The oil was characterized by gas chromatography (GC‐MS and GC‐FID). Antifungal activity was assessed using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the oil as an enhancer of fluconazole action was tested at sub‐inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8). The mechanism of action of C. coriaceum fixed oil was determined by evaluating the inhibition of morphological transition in Candida spp. The chemical composition of the fixed oil of C. coriaceum comprised both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Oleic (61 %) and palmitic (33 %) acids were the major constituents. Regarding its anti‐Candida activity, the oil inhibited the growth of C. albicans (IC50: 371 μg/mL) and C. tropicalis (IC50: 830 μg/mL). Furthermore, the oil reversed the antifungal resistance of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, restoring the susceptibility to fluconazole and reducing their IC50 from 12.33 μg/mL and 362 μg/mL to 0.22 μg/mL and 13.93 μg/mL, respectively. The fixed oil of C. coriaceum completely inhibited the morphological transition of C. albicans and C. tropicalis at a concentration of 512 μg/mL, but exhibited limited low antifungal potential against C. krusei. The observed antifungal activity may be attributed to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the oil showed no toxic effect on the Drosophila melanogaster in vivo model. The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum emerge as a strong candidate for the development of new pharmaceutical formulations to treat infections caused by Candida spp.
Species of the genus Miconia are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diseases, such as pain, throat infections, fever, and cold, and they used as depuratives, diuretics, and sedatives. ...This work reviewed studies carried out with Miconia species, highlighting its ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological and phytochemical potential. This information was collected in the main platforms of scientific research (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). Our findings show that some of the traditional uses of Miconia are corroborated by biological and/or pharmacological assays, which demonstrated, among other properties, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimutagenic, antiparasitic, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities. A total of 148 chemical compounds were identified in Miconia species, with phenolic compounds being the main constituents found in the species of this genus. Such phytochemical investigations have demonstrated the potential of species belonging to this genus as a source of bioactive substances, thus reinforcing their medicinal and pharmacological importance.
One of the main global problems that affect human health is the development of bacterial resistance to different drugs. As a result, the growing number of multidrug-resistant pathogens has ...contributed to an increase in resistant infections and represents a public health problem. The present work seeks to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of
leaves. To identify its chemical composition, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used. The antibacterial activity test was performed with the standard strains
ATCC 25922,
ATCC 25853 and
ATCC 25923 and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates
06,
24 and
10. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by serial microdilution as well as the verification of the modulating effect of the antibiotic effect. In this test, the oil was used in a subinhibitory concentration. The test reading was performed after 24 h of incubation at 37 °C. The results show that the major chemical constituent is α-pinene (53.21%). The oil showed moderate activity against
ATCC 25922, with the MIC of 512 µg/mL; there was no activity against the other strains. The oil potentiated the effect of antibiotics demonstrating possible synergism when associated with gentamicin, erythromycin and norfloxacin against
06 and
10.
Caryocar coriaceum is an endemic tree of Brazil, occurring mainly in the northeast region in the Cerrado environment. The species, popularly known as “pequi”, produces fruits that are used in the ...manufacture of oil for food and medicinal purposes. This work reviewed studies conducted with the species, highlighting its ethnomedicinal use, its pharmacological potential, including its chemical constituents, and its cultural and socioeconomic importance. Information was obtained through the main scientific research platforms. The keyword “Caryocar coriaceum” was used as the main index for searching the following platforms: PubMed®, PubMed Central®, SciElo, Scopus® and Web of ScienceTM. The compiled papers demonstrate that C. coriaceum has great medicinal, economic and cultural importance for northeastern Brazil. Popularly, the fruits of C. coriaceum are used to treat broncho-pulmonary diseases (bronchitis, colds and flu). The fixed oil is widely used to relieve pain from various causes in the treatment of inflammation, flu, eczema, burns, fever, rickets, indigestion, heart murmurs, fatigue and erectile dysfunction. Some of these uses are corroborated by pharmacological trials, which have demonstrated the antioxidant, healing, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, antinociceptive and antimicrobial properties of the species. Chemically, fatty acids and phenolic compounds are the main constituents recorded for the species. Due to its medicinal properties, the fruits and oil of C. coriaceum have a high commercial demand and are one of the main forms of subsistence activities for local populations. On the other hand, the extractive practice of the fruits, associated with anthropic factors and its physiological nature, makes the species threatened with extinction. Thus, public management policies are highly necessary in order to avoid its extinction.
Microbial resistance has become a worrying problem in recent decades after the abusive use of antibiotics causing the selection of resistant microorganisms. In order to circumvent such resistance, ...researchers have invested efforts in the search for promising natural substances, such as essential oils. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of Acritopappus confertus leaves, to evaluate its intrinsic effect and its effects in combination with drugs against pathogenic fungi and bacteria, in addition to verifying the inhibition of virulence in Candida strains. To this end, the oil was verified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Candida strains were used for antifungal assays by means of the serial microdilution technique, in order to determine the average inhibitory concentration (IC50), and for the modification assays, sub-inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8) were used. Finally, the natural product’s ability to inhibit the formation of filamentous structures was evaluated. In antibacterial tests, the MIC of the oil against strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and its modifying effects in association with gentamicin, erythromycin, and norfloxacin were determined. The major constituent of the essential oil was the monoterpene myrcene (54.71%). The results show that the essential oil has an antifungal effect, with C. albicans strains being the most susceptible. Furthermore, the oil can potentiate the effect of fluconazole against strains of C. tropicalis and C. albicans. Regarding its effect on micromorphology, the oil was also able to inhibit the filaments in all strains. In combination with antibiotics, the oil potentiated the drug’s action by reducing the MIC against E. coli and S. aureus. It can be concluded that the essential oil of A. confertus has potential against pathogenic fungi and bacteria, making it a target for the development of an antimicrobial drug.
Caryocar coriaceum, commonly known as ‘pequi’, is a medicinal species used traditionally for the herbal treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases in the Brazilian Northeast region. In this ...study, we investigated whether the fruits of C. coriaceum have bioactive chemical constituents against etiological agents of infectious diseases. The methanolic extract of the internal mesocarp of the fruits of C. coriaceum (MECC) was chemically analyzed and evaluated for its antimicrobial and drug-enhancing activity against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus), and Candida spp. strains. The extract had flavones, flavonols, xanthones, catechins, and flavanones as major classes. A total of 11.26 mg GAE/g of phenolics, and 5.98 mg QE/g of flavonoids were found. No intrinsic antibacterial activity was observed; however, the extract was able to intensify the action of gentamicin and erythromycin against multi-resistant strains. The anti-Candida effect observed in this study was mainly due to the formation of reactive oxygen species. The extract was capable of causing damage to the plasmatic membrane of Candida tropicalis through pores formation. Our findings partially support the ethnopharmacological uses of the fruit pulp of C. coriaceum against infectious and parasitic diseases.
•The traditional use of C. coriaceum against infectious diseases was partially supported by our findings.•The CC extract did not show a direct effect against pathogenic bacteria.•The CC intensified the action of antibiotics against MDR microorganisms.•The CC reduced the growth of Candida spp., acting through the formation of ROS.•The CC it was able to inhibit the morphological transition of the yeasts.
Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze is a species widely used traditionally in the treatment of ailments, such as stomach pain, hemorrhoids, cough, verminosis, ulcer, liver disease, fever, influenza, ...nasal congestion, and inflammation. This review aims to provide a survey of available information on seven international electronic databases (Google Scholar, Medline, ResearchGate, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed) about botanical aspects, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of M. suaveolens. Mesosphaerum suaveolens is a tropical America native species, but it can be found in several parts of the world as a ruderal plant. The species is the most studied species of the genus Lamiaceae due its phytochemical aspect, especially regarding the chemical composition of its essential oil. Besides the essential oils, M. suaveolens is a source of numerous secondary compounds such as triterpenes, diterpenes, and phenolic compounds, which are related to its biological activities, such as allelopathic, antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, and larvicidal activities as described in the literature.
Fungi of the
genus are responsible for invasive candidiasis, which affects people all over the world and has high mortality rates. This is due to their virulence factors, which give them great ...resistance and pathogenicity. In addition, the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains makes it difficult to treat these infections. In this way, natural products have emerged as an alternative to standard drugs, where plants known for their medicinal properties such as
become attractive to research. The present work aimed to analyze the ethanol extract of
leaves against standard strains of
,
and
using broth microdilution techniques. The identification of the compounds in
leaves by LC-MS revealed the presence of a wide variety of substances such as carboxylic acids and terpenes, with flavonoids and fatty acids being more evident. The antifungal assays showed that the extract was not able to inhibit the growth of the tested strains at concentrations with a clinical relevance. However, at higher concentrations, it was able to inhibit the fungal dimorphism of
and
. It is possible that the
extract has potential as an inhibitor of fungal virulence factors without affecting the cell viability. Further research should be carried out in order to assess its inhibitory potential for other fungal virulence factors.
Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis are neglected parasitic diseases that constitute a major public health problem. In the search for new therapeutic alternatives for such pathologies, the essential oil ...of the leaves of Psidium brownianum Mart ex DC was investigated regarding its chemical composition, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic effects. The chemical composition of the oil was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS), showing two major constituents: Isogermafurene (52.93%) and Germacrone (16.02%). In antiparasitic activity, the oil was tested against the epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, revealing 57.05% inhibition at the highest tested concentration (1000 μg/mL). In regard to antiparasitic activity against promastigote forms of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum, it obtained 92.61% and 84.16% inhibition, respectively, at the highest concentrations (1000 μg/mL). As for the cytotoxic effects, it showed high cytotoxicity, with IC50 = 328.9 μg/mL. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) obtained the best result for the promastigote forms of L. braziliensis (IC50 = 37.53 μg/mL), as well as the selectivity index (SI = 8.76). Such results generate perspectives for new research and may contribute to more effective drug discoveries.
•The essential oil (OE) of Psidium brownianum has an antiparasitic effect.•The EO of P. brownianum shows cytotoxicity against fibroblasts.•The EO of P. brownianum presents Isogermafurene as a major compound.•Only sesquiterpenes are present in the said natural product.
As microbes develop resistance to various drugs, the treatment of infections becomes increasingly challenging, leading to prolonged illness, heightened severity of infections, elevated mortality ...rates, and increased healthcare costs. Essential oils are lipophilic and volatile mixtures of compounds that have gained attention in research for novel antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the present study evaluated the essential oil of Syzygium cumini leaves (EOSC) in order to prospect its antifungal and trichomonacidal activities. The essential oil from the leaves was extracted by steam distillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the EOSC as an enhancer of fluconazole (FCZ) action was tested at subinhibitory concentrations. To assess anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity, concentrations ranging from 15.6 to 500 μg/mL of EOSC were tested. Finally, the SwissADME platform was employed to analyze the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic characteristics of the major component of EOSC. The GC-MS analysis identified 94.24% of the components of EOSC, with α-pinene (51.11%) and nerol (8.25%) as major constituents. EOSC exhibited low antifungal activity against the evaluated Candida strains. However, the combination of EOSC and FCZ reduced the IC50 against Candida krusei from 45.29 to 0.30 μg/mL. EOSC also demonstrated significant activity against T. vaginalis (IC50 = 88.2 μg/mL). In silico prediction with α-pinene showed low toxic action and important physicochemical aspects for drug production. The essential oil of Syzygium cumini emerges as a promising candidate for the discovery of molecules with potential antifungal and anti-Trichomonas vaginalis applications.
