title: Evaluation of antifungal activity of Piper solmsianum C. DC. var. solmsianum (Piperaceae).
abstract: We have studied the crude methanolic extract (CME), some fractions (hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate) and four pure compounds: eupomatenoid-3 (1), eupomatenoid-5 (2), conocarpan (3) and orientin (4), from Piper solmsianum, for possible antifungal activity against 12 pathogenic fungi. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined and the experiments showed that the CME exhibited antifungal action against all the dermatophytes tested, with MIC values of between 20 microg/ml to 60 microg/ml. Similar activity also was verified for the hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions. However, the starting material (CME), and all the fractions, did not exert inhibitory effect against hyaline hyphomycetes and were only discretely active against the zigomycetes and yeasts. Compounds 2, 3 and 4 also exhibited pronounced activity against all the dermatophytes tested (MIC< or =1 to 9 microg/ml) with potency as high as the standard antifungal drug (ketoconazole). Compound 3 also exhibited activity against all the yeasts tested. In conclusion, the antifungal activity of P. solmsianum seems to be related mainly to the presence of compounds 2, 3 (neolignans) and 4 (flavonoid), however it was verified that another active compound, as yet unidentified, exists in the plant.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Mestrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas/CCS and Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI), 88302-202, Itajaí-SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Pereira
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: De Campos
authors.forename: Valdir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cechinel Filho
authors.forename: Rosi Zanoni
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Rosendo Augusto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Yunes
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zacchino
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juarez
authors.forename: Rosana Cé
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bella Cruz
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bella Cruz
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D031701:Piper / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D010936:Plant Extracts