title: Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Gentianella multicaulis collected on the Andean Slopes of San Juan Province, Argentina.
abstract: The infusion of the aerial parts of Gentianella multicaulis (Gillies ex Griseb.) Fabris (Gentianaceae), locally known as 'nencia', is used in San Juan Province, Argentina, as stomachic and as a bitter tonic against digestive and liver problems. The bioassay-guided isolation of G. multicaulis extracts and structural elucidation of the main compounds responsible for the antifungal and free radical scavenging activities were performed. The extracts had strong free radical scavenging effects in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay (45-93% at 10 microg/mL) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay at 200 microg/mL. Demethylbellidifolin (4) had high antioxidant activity in the DPPH and FRAP assay. The dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and T. rubrum were moderately inhibited by the different extracts (MIC values of 125-250 microg/mL). Demethylbellidifolin (4), bellidifolin (5), and isobellidifolin (6) showed an antifungal effect (MIC values of 50 microg/mL), while swerchirin (3) was less active with a MIC value of 100 microg/mL. In addition, oleanolic acid (1) and ursolic acid (2) were also isolated. These findings demonstrate that Gentianella multicaulis collected in the mountains of the Province of San Juan, Argentina, is an important source of compounds with antifungal and antioxidant activities.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biotecnología - Instituto de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Libertador General San Martín 1109 oeste, CP 5400, San Juan, Argentina.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Marianela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: María B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Agüero
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zacchino
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Filippa
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: Gabriela E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Feresin
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001118:Argentina; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D031313:Gentianella / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers