Abstract
In this study, the chemical composition of the peel and pulp of Mauritia flexuosa fruits were analyzed and the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts from these fruits was evaluated using in vitro tests. Chemical composition analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) indicated the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The peel extracts (ECBU) presented 54.41% and the pulp (EPBU) presented 94.05% of the saturated fatty acids lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. The antimicrobial activities were performed using the diffusion and micro-dilution (MIC) methods. ECBU was active against the bacteria Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 200 mg mL-1, but it was not active against the yeasts Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis using the diffusion method. The MIC results showed that ECBU was active against the tested bacteria at concentrations > 12.5 mg mL-1 and EPBU was active at concentrations > 25.0 mg mL-1. This was probably due to higher sensibility of the method. The results indicated that the peel and pulp extracts of M. flexuosa present antibacterial activity and that ECBU is an especially promising potential candidate for the prospection of new pharmaceutical compounds. Key words: Mauritia flexuosa, Buriti, anti-bacterial agents, fatty acids.
Highlights
The vast availability and indiscriminate use of antimicrobial compounds has led to a selection of microorganisms that are resistant to these drugs
Barros et al (2014) showed that buriti cream was effective in healing of skin lesions in mice
Due to the economic importance of M. flexuosa for indigenous Brazilian people, the objective of this study was to carry out in vitro antimicrobial activity tests of the ethanol extracts from the pulp and the fruit peel against human pathogens and to analyze the chemical composition of the fatty acids presented in gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer
Summary
The vast availability and indiscriminate use of antimicrobial compounds has led to a selection of microorganisms that are resistant to these drugs. The studies of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial activities from buriti fruits are very rare. Koolen et al (2013) and Batista et al (2012) showed antimicrobial activity of extracts of leaves, trunk and fruits of M. flexuosa. Due to the economic importance of M. flexuosa for indigenous Brazilian people, the objective of this study was to carry out in vitro antimicrobial activity tests of the ethanol extracts from the pulp and the fruit peel against human pathogens and to analyze the chemical composition of the fatty acids presented in gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. There are few studies on the antimicrobial activities of the chemical components (GCMS) of the peel and pulp of this palm tree’s fruits
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