title: Antifungal activity from Ocimum gratissimum L. towards Cryptococcus neoformans.
abstract: Cryptococcal infection had an increased incidence in last years due to the explosion of acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic and by using new and effective immunosuppressive agents. The currently antifungal therapies used such as amphotericin B, fluconazole, and itraconazole have certain limitations due to side effects and emergence of resistant strains. So, a permanent search to find new drugs for cryptococcosis treatment is essential. Ocimum gratissimum, plant known as alfavaca (Labiatae family), has been reported earlier with in vitro activity against some bacteria and dermatophytes. In our work, we study the in vitro activity of the ethanolic crude extract, ethyl acetate, hexane, and chloroformic fractions, essential oil, and eugenol of O. gratissimum using an agar dilution susceptibility method towards 25 isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans. All the extracts of O. gratissimum studied showed activity in vitro towards C. neoformans. Based on the minimal inhibitory concentration values the most significant results were obtained with chloroformic fraction and eugenol. It was observed that chloroformic fraction inhibited 23 isolates (92%) of C. neoformans at a concentration of 62.5 microg/ml and eugenol inhibited 4 isolates (16%) at a concentration of 0.9 microg/ml. This screening may be the basis for the study of O. gratissimum as a possible antifungal agent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74605-050 Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janine de Aquino
authors.initials: Jde A
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Xisto Sena
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.forename: Orionalda de Fátima Lisboa
authors.initials: Ode F
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: José Realino de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Paula
authors.forename: Pedro Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Lúcia Kioko Hasimoto E
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Aline de Aquino
authors.initials: Ade A
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Maria do Rosário Rodrigues
authors.initials: Mdo R
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D031339:Ocimum; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts