Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Schinus terebinthifolius and Eugenia uniflora upon Candida tropicalis strains

Wagno Alcantara de Santana; Mara Zelia de Almeida; Eduardo Martinez Martinez; Paulo Roberto Ribeiro Mesquita; Marcos A. Vannier–Santos

Volume : VII, Issue : VIII, August - 2017

Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Schinus terebinthifolius and Eugenia uniflora upon Candida tropicalis strains

Wagno Alcantara De Santana, Mara Zelia De Almeida, Eduardo Martinez Martinez, Paulo Roberto Ribeiro Mesquita, Marcos A. Vannier Santos

Abstract :

The essential oils of herbal medicines are known to display pharmacologic actions, in the cell wall of fungus. This study was performed in order to identify new bioagents with microbicidal activity in vitro. We approached the effects of cultivated plant extracts upon a fluconazole–resistant (ATCC 750) and a fluconazole–sensitive (ATCC 18803) strains of C. tropicalis which were incubated with the essential oils of Schinus terebinthifolius and Eugenia uniflora, for 24 hours and analyzed by MTT method. Assessment of cytotoxicity on murine splenocytes was measured by [³H] Thymidine incorporation and flow cytometry using rhodamine 123 probe, respectively. The structural changes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Secondary metabolites present in the extracts were identified by gas chromatography. The concentrations of essential oils showed significantly (p <0.05) inhibited the viability of strains. GC–MS tests identified the presence of active substances recognized for its antimicrobial activity. Flow cytometric assays showed that the extracts–treated strains had changes in mitochondrial integrity as compared to the Carbonyl cyanide m–chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Scanning electron microscopy showed that exposure to the essential oils caused remarkable structural changes with cell surface. These results suggest that the S. terebinthifolius and E. uniflora essential oils may be considered promising for antifungal purpose for candidiasis.