Abstract

WEN, Louise et al. Antifungal activity of four plants used in peruvian traditional medicine: isolation of the active principle of Psidium acutangulum. Rev. Soc. Quím. Perú [online]. 2011, vol.77, n.3, pp.199-204. ISSN 1810-634X.

We report here the antifungal activities of the ethanolic extracts of Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum. (Apocynaceae), Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae), Calycophyllum spruceanum (Benth.) Hook. f. ex K. Schum. (Rubiaceae) and Psidium acutangulum DC (Myrtaceae), four plants used in peruvian traditional medicine against skin mycosis. The most active sample against the evaluated fungi (Candida albicans, Sporothrix schenckii and Trychophyton mentagrophytes) was the ethanol extract of Psidium acutangulum, which was submitted to bioassay-guided fractionation, leading to the isolation of 3'-formyl-2',4',6'- trihydroxydihydrochalcone. This compound showed minimum inhibitory concentrations of 16-512 µg/mL against Cryptococcus neoformans, S. schenckii and several Candida species. All these results support the use of Psidium acutangulum in Peruvian traditional medicine. Its antifungal activity is due mainly to the 3'-formyl-2',4',6'-trihydroxydihydrochalcone.

Keywords : antifungal; Psidium acutangulum; peruvian plants.

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