title: Antifungal activity of Pterocaulon alopecuroides (Asteraceae) against chromoblastomycosis agents.
abstract: Plants of the genus Pterocaulon (Asteraceae) are popularly used in the treatment of skin diseases caused by fungi and bacteria. The aim of this work was to investigate the in vitro activity of the crude methanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of Pterocaulon alopecuroides (Lam.) against some agents of chromoblastomycosis, a chronic fungal infection of the skin and of the subcutaneous tissue caused by traumatic inoculation of the aetiological agent. The extract was active against all the strains tested showing a minimum inhibitory concentration between 625 and 2500 microg ml(-1). The assessment of fungistatic/fungicidal activity demonstrated that the extract was fungistatic against Fonsecaea spp. and fungicidal against all the other fungi. Our results indicate that the identification of bioactive components present in the crude methanolic extract of P. alopecuroides against chromoblastomycosis agents can be an important strategy to manage this mycosis in the future.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatiane Caroline
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Daboit
authors.forename: Cheila Denise Ottonelli
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stopiglia
authors.forename: Gilsane Lino
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: von Poser
authors.forename: Maria Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Scroferneker
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002862:Chromoblastomycosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts