title: Screening of antifungal agents using ethanol precipitation and bioautography of medicinal and food plants.
abstract: In the search for bioactive compounds, bioautography and ethanol precipitation of macromolecules (proteins, polysaccharides, etc.) of plant aqueous extracts were associated in an antifungal screening. Thus, the supernatants, precipitates (obtained by ethanol precipitation) and aqueous extracts were investigated of medicinal and fruit bearing plants used against skin diseases by the Brazilian population. The agar diffusion and broth dilution methods were used to assess the activity against three fungi: Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum and Cryptococcus neoformans. The results, evaluated by the diameter of the inhibition zone of fungal growth, indicate that six plant species, among the 16 investigated, showed significant antifungal activity. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined on plant extracts that showed high efficacy against the tested microorganisms. The most susceptible yeast was Trichophyton rubrum and the best antifungal activity was shown by Xanthosoma sagittifolium supernatant. The bioautography was performed only for the aqueous extracts and supernatants of those plants that showed antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, using n-butanol/acetic acid/water (BAW) 8:1:1 to develop silica gel TLC plates. Clear inhibition zones were observed for aqueous extracts of Schinus molle (R(f) 0.89) and Schinus terebinthifolius (R(f) 0.80) against Candida albicans, as for supernatant of Anacardium occidentale (R(f) 0.31) against Cryptococcus neoformans. The separation of macromolecules from metabolites, as in the case of Anacardium occidentale, Solanum sp. and Xanthosoma sagittifolium, enhances antifungal activity. In other cases, the antifungal activity is destroyed, as observed for Momordica charantia, Schinus molle and Schinus terebinthifolius.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Centro de Ciências da Saúde (CCS), Bloco H, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-590, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gracilene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmourlo
authors.forename: Ricardo R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Mendonça-Filho
authors.forename: Celuta Sales
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Alviano
authors.forename: Sônia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000187:drug effects; D014709:Vero Cells; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014867:Water; D000431:Ethanol