title: Evaluations of the Antimicrobial Activities and Chemical Compositions of Body Fat from the Amphibians Leptodactylus macrosternum Miranda-Ribeiro (1926) and Leptodactylus vastus Adolf Lutz (1930) in Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: Leptodactylus macrosternum and L. vastus (family: Leptodactylidae) are commonly encountered in the "Caatinga" biome in northern Brazil. The body fat of L. vastus is used as a zootherapeutic for treating a number of human maladies. The aim of this work was to determine the chemical composition of the body fats of L. macrosternum and L. vastus and to evaluate their antimicrobial activities as well as the ecological implications of their use in traditional folk medicine. Oils were extracted from body fat located in the ventral region of L. macrosternum (OLM) and L. vastus (OLV) using hexane as a solvent. The fatty acids were identified by GC-MS. The antimicrobial activities of the oils, either alone or in combination with antibiotics and antifungal drugs, were tested on standard strains of microorganisms as well as on multiresistant strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. OLM contained 40% saturated and 60% unsaturated fatty acids, while OLV contained 58.33% saturated and 41.67% unsaturated fatty acids. Our results indicated that both OLM and OLV demonstrated relevant antimicrobial activities (with MIC 256  μ g/mL for both) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida krusei. However, no antimicrobial effects were observed when these oils were combined with antibiotics or antifungal drugs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Zoology, Regional University of Cariri-URCA, Pimenta, 63105-000 Crato, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mario Eduardo Santos
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Diógenes de Queiroz
authors.initials: Dde Q
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Débora Lima
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: Olga Paiva
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Diego Alves
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Teles
authors.forename: João Antonio de Araujo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: José Guilherme Gonçalves
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Henrique Douglas Melo
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: José Galberto Martins
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Marta Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kerntopf
authors.forename: Rômulo Romeu da Nóbrega
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Waltécio de Oliveira
authors.initials: Wde O
authors.lastname: Almeida