Investigação do potencial antifúngico de Sida planicaulis sobre leveduras potencialmente patogênicas.

Abstract

In recent years, the drastic increase in the incidence of fungal infections has become a serious public health problem, posing a challenge for health professionals. Treatment is not always effective, as fungi often develop resistance to the available antifungal agents. For this reason, there is a continuous search for new substances that act on these microorganisms, not only effective, but also safer. Sida planicaulis, popularly known as gbroom h, found in the region of Curimatau Paraibano, is a plant whose antimicrobial potential has not yet been explored and thus requires investigation. In this sense, this research aimed to investigate the possible antifungal activity of the plant Sida planicaulis, regarding the evaluation of its crude ethanolic extract (CEE) and hexane (HEX), chloroform, ethyl acetate (AcOEt) and hydroalcohol (EtOH:H2O) fractions, on potentially pathogenic yeasts. To evaluate the antifungal potential of the extracts, a microbiological screening was performed based on the diffusion technique on solid medium. Suspensions prepared in 0.85% saline solution (106 CFU/mL) were seeded on plates containing Sabouraud-Dextrose Agar in which sterile filter paper disks embedded in 10 ƒÊL of the plant extracts were distributed. Incubation was carried out in a bacteriological oven at 36oC for 24/48 hours. The assays were performed in triplicate and the antifungal activity was evaluated by measuring the inhibition halos values. The yeasts used in the assays included: Candida tropicalis, Trichosporon inkin LM-67, Geotrichum spp. 57839 and Rhodotorulla spp. The four yeasts tested showed resistance, with no inhibition halos observed. This research result allows us to conclude that the extracts of Sida planicaulis do not present antifungal effect on the evaluated yeasts, however, this was the first investigation of its antimicrobial potential, being necessary other studies, against different microorganisms, in order to have a better notion of its therapeutic potential.