Avaliação da actividade antimicrobiana das raízes de securidaca Longepedunculata (fresen)

Abstract

Securidaca longepedunculata (Fresen) is a plant belonging to the family Polygalaceae which is represented by 19 genera and approximately 1,300 species well distributed throughout the world. The family is the target of several phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Several chemical compounds such as: saponins, xanthones, coumarins, fatty acids, phenols and alkaloids. The present work focused on a species of the family Polygalaceae specifically S. longepedunculata which the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of the roots. To obtain the extracts, the maceration method was used under continuous agitation with different solvents: petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, water and methanol. Preliminary phytochemical tests were carried out to identify the main classes of compounds. Escherichia bacteria were used to assess antimicrobial activity coli, Salmonella sp, Shigella flexneri, Staphylacocus aureus, Vibrio chlolerae and the fungus Candida albicans, using the agar diffusion method. The phytochemical tests carried out showed the presence of: alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and terpenes in root extracts. In the antimicrobial evaluation, extracts of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, aqueous and methanolic showed inhibitory activity in the growth of almost all bacteria tested except V. chlolerae at a concentration of 200mg / mL. No extract showed inhibitory activity against the fungus C. albicans. The bacterium S. aureus was shown to be more sensitive against all extracts. The results of the obtained antimicrobial tests showed a potential antimicrobial effect of the roots of S. longepedunculata, which can be related to the presence of flavonoids, saponins and tannins, mainly saponins.