Bioactivity and antimicrobial evaluation of extracts from Chrysobalanus icaco L. found in the amazonian maranhense, Brazil

Abstract

The Brazilian Amazon-cerrado transition regions harbor a rich native biodiversity used for food, conservation and medicinal purposes by traditional communities and with industrial interest. In this scenario, the present research aimed to analyze the presence of phenolic and chemical compounds and antimicrobial activity of the stem, leaf and fruit of Chrysobalanus icaco L. The methodology was based on the study of the leaves and fruits of the species through alcoholic and aqueous extracts for phytochemical screening, determination of the physicochemical composition, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity following specific methodologies. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of mainly phenolic compounds and flavonoids, with higher concentration in the leaves. In the chemical composition of the leaves the concentration of protein, mineral material, fiber and total carbohydrates stood out, while in the fruits fibers and mineral material. In the contents of bioactive compounds, the leaves also differ from the fruits by the superior amount for the same compounds, also when comparing with other species also prevails with higher concentration, as in the example of acerola. In the antioxidant activity, the leaves, due to their concentration of bioactive compounds, showed a greater capacity to sequester free radicals than the fruit, however, both have high antioxidant capacity when compared to other native Brazilian plants. In the antimicrobial activity, the tests showed promising for Salmonella 14026 (12.5 mg/mL), E. coli 042 (12.5 mg/mL) and S. aureus 6538 (6.25 mg/mL). Thus, the results presented in this research corroborate the food and medicinal use of both the leaves and fruits of C. icaco species, since they have antioxidant and biological activity to control bacteria.