title: Brazilian phytopharmaceuticals--evaluation against hospital bacteria.
abstract: Pharmaceutical companies have demonstrated renewed interest in investigating higher plants as sources for new lead structures and also for the development of standardized phytotherapeutic agents of proven efficacy, safety and quality. This work analysed three commercial phytopharmaceuticals against multi-resistant bacteria of medical importance, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the Brazilian endemic clone. From the phytopharmaceuticals assayed, plants from the products 'Astmoflora' and 'Kókolos' were considered active, while plants from 'Uva do Mato' were not active in the tested concentrations, which ranged from 62.5 to 500 microg/mL. Among fractions of Aristolochia cymbifera and Myroxylon balsamum, the hexane extracts showed the best results against Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These fractions showed growth inhibition of all methicillin-sensitive and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and the majority of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains at a concentration of 500 microg/mL. Bioassay-guided fractionation of hexane extracts of Aristolochia cymbifera and Myroxylon balsamum led to the identification of the diterpene 2-oxo-populifolic acid and of the chalcone isoliquiritigenin, respectively, as antimicrobial compounds.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Thelma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Barros Machado
authors.forename: Ivana Correa Ramos
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Ricardo Machado
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kuster
authors.forename: Ana Claudia Fernandes
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Valéria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kokis
authors.forename: Marlei G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.forename: Kátia Regina Netto
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D030022:Aristolochia; D001938:Brazil; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D029904:Myroxylon; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts