Abstract
Amburana cearensis is a medicinal plant widely used in folk medicine. The purpose of this study was to identify the more appropriate extraction solvent for maximum antioxidant and antimicrobial effect. The extraction of A. cearensis seeds were carried out gradually to obtain the highest yields and constituents of the extracts using as solvent hexane, methanol, 80% alcohol and water in this sequence. Phytochemical screening showed phenolic compounds and thin layer chromatography (TLC) showed the flavonoid morin. Antioxidant activity was also evaluated by the method of scavenging the free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); rutin and ascorbic acid was used as standard; the hydro-alcoholic extract (EEA) showed an IC50 value of 17.95 μg/ml, similarly to the standards rutin and ascorbic acid, indicating high antioxidant action. The microdilution assay (MIC) showed antibacterial activity against the bacteria concentrations, values ≥0.25 mg/mL for EEA and aqueous (AEA) extracts against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. flexneri. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of A. cearenses seed extracts revealed a high content of flavonoids and tannin compounds corroborating with TLC analysis. The extraction by exhaustion was very effective in exposing the bioactive principles of A. cearenses seeds showing their best compounds mainly in EEA extract. Key words: Amburana cearensis, exhaustion extraction, seed, phytochemical profile, antioxidant, antimicrobial activity.
Highlights
Amburana cearensis, known as umburana or cumaru is a leguminous plant of Fabaceae family, used in perfumery and for pharmaceutical purposes; it can be observed in practically all of America, from Peru to Argentina (Canuto and Silveira, 2006)
Many studies have demonstrated the profuse presence of coumarin, flavonoids and tannins in stem bark and leaves of A. cearensis as responsible for pharmacological activities of this species according to the effects observed in tests pure substances (Marinho et al, 2004; Canuto, 2006); these phenolic compounds have not yet been well documented in seeds, this can occur because secondary metabolites link competitively for some solvents during the extraction process (Naczk and Shahidi, 2004)
The evaluation by thin layer chromatography (TLC) showed, in ethanol extract (EEA) A. cearensis seed extracts the presence of flavonoids, as evidenced by emergence of fluorescence in retention factor (Rf) stains EEA (Rf=75), methanol extract (MEA) (Rf=73) and aqueous extrac (AEA) (Rf=80)
Summary
Known as umburana or cumaru is a leguminous plant of Fabaceae family, used in perfumery and for pharmaceutical purposes; it can be observed in practically all of America, from Peru to Argentina (Canuto and Silveira, 2006). Many parts of this plant are used in traditional medicine, stem bark and leaves contain phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects (Leal et al, 2003), they are useful in conducting several physiological disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, vascular fragility and improvement of the health of gastrointestinal tract (Scalbert et al, 2005). The phenolics compounds can affect the growth and metabolism of bacteria, activating or inhibiting the microbial growth according to their constitution and concentration (Alberto et al, 2006; Nazzaro et al, 2009)
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