Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of medicinal plants of the Brazilian cerrado, using Brazilian cachaça as extractor liquid

Ethnopharmacological importanceMany species of plants in the Brazilian cerrado (savanna) are widely used in ethnomedicine. However, the safety and effectiveness of medicinal plants used in communities with little or no access to manufactured drugs should be evaluated.Aim of the studyEvaluate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of extracts from eight plant species, obtained using Brazilian cachaça as the extractor liquid.Materials and methodsThe extracts were tested against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis, and poliovirus. In addition, cytotoxic activity was assayed in Vero cells and in human erythrocytes.ResultsThe plant species Curatella americana, Sclerolobium aureum, and Plathymenia reticulata showed the best activity against yeasts, especially the crude extract of C. americana and its ethyl-acetate fraction. Kielmeyera lathrophyton showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 250 μg/ml against S. aureus, and was inactive against Gram-negative bacteria. The extract obtained from Annona coriacea showed the best activity against the promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis (IC50 = 175 μg/ml). Only C. americana showed potential for antipoliovirus activity. The concentrations of the crude extracts that showed toxicity to VERO cells had CC50 between 31 and 470 μg/ml, and the lyophilized Brazilian cachaça showed a CC50 of 307 μg/ml. None of the extracts showed toxicity against human erythrocytes.ConclusionsAmong the plant species studied, C. americana proved to be effective against microorganisms, especially as an antifungal. The results will help in the search for alternative drugs to be used in pharmacotherapy, and will contribute to establish safe and effective use of phytomedicines in the treatment of infectious diseases.