title: In vitro antifungal activities of leaf extracts of Lippia alba (Verbenaceae) against clinically important yeast species.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few studies reporting the antifungal activities of Lippia alba extracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A broth microdilution assay was used to evaluate the antifungal effects of Lippia alba extracts against seven yeast species of Candida and Cryptococcus. The butanol fraction was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The butanol fraction showed the highest activity against Candida glabrata. The fraction also acted synergistically with itraconazole and fluconazole against C. glabrata. The dominant compounds in the butanol fraction were 2,2,5-trimethyl-3,4-hexanedione, 3,5-dimethyl-4-octanone and hexadecane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The butanol fraction may be a good candidate in the search for new drugs from natural products with antifungal activity.
authors.affiliation: Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG.
authors.forename: Graziela Teixeira de
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG.
authors.forename: Jaqueline Maria Siqueira
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BRAZIL.
authors.forename: Luiz Henrique
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, BRAZIL.
authors.forename: Ezequias Pessoa de
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BRAZIL.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.affiliation: Campus Centro-Oeste Dona Lindu, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG.
authors.forename: Luciana Alves Rodrigues dos Santos
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000187:drug effects*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D032411:Lippia / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts