ANTIFUNGAL ACTION IN VITRO OF POTHOMORPHE UMBELLATA ETHANOLIC EXTRACT TO TRICHOPHYTON RUBRUM

Edvânio Ramos Rodrigues (FCFAR UNESP); Geisiany Maria de Queiroz (FCFAR UNESP); Tatiana Maria de Souza (FCFAR UNESP); Maiara Ivani de Paula (FCFAR UNESP); Ana Marisa Fusco-almeida (FCFAR UNESP); Rosemeire Cristina Linhari Rodrigues Pietro (FCFAR UNESP)

Dermatophyte are a group of fungi keratinolic, strictly related, capable to invade keratinized tissue as skin, hair and nails, resulting in an infection commonly known as tinea, in humans and animals. Among the dermatophytes the Trichophyton rubrum is one of the principal dermatopytosis etiologic agents. It has been observed the growth of the incidence of these infections, being also related with the inefficiency of antifungal agents used, demonstrating the need of the development of new agents. Plants produce several substances in your metabolism which could present antifungal action. Pothomorphe umbellata is a plant of the Brasilian flora, popularly known as caapeba or pariparoba. It presents among its constituents antioxidant substances as the 4-nerolidylcathecol (4-NC), steroids and essential oil. The objective of this work was to avaluate the activity of the ethanolic extract of Pothomorphe umbellata against the Trichophyton rubrum. The vegetable extract was obtained of leaves of the crushed plant, after percolation with ethanol 50%. Tha fungal was developed in Agar Sabouraud by 7 days at 30º C. After the spores were colleted with saline and adjusted to 5.0x 10³ CFU/mL. The tests were done in accordance with brief adaptation of the M38-A reference method of CLSI, using microtitulation plates with 96 wells for determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) in RPMI medium. After incubation for 7 days to 30º C, the visual reading was accomplished. The results demonstrated the action of the ethanolic extract, showing MIC value of 39,0 mg/mL. This action can be due to the combination of several substances present in the extract. The results are preliminary, needing higher studies that can establish the characterization of its compounds or or group of substances that present antifungal activity, besides the requirement of toxicity tests.