Abstract
Henriettea succosa is a tree species consumed in abundance by birds, however, there is no report on its phytochemical profile and biological activity. This study performed the phytochemical screening and the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of H. succosa leaves. The hexane (Hex), ethyl acetate (AcOEt) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of the leaves were evaluated for chemical composition by Thin Layer Chromatography and spectrophotometric analysis; the antimicrobial activity was determined by the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Microbicide Concentration (MMC); antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, determination of the reducing power and the phosphomolybdenum complex reduction assay. The photoprotor action of the extracts was also evaluated. The results showed a higher content of phenolic compounds (444.08 ± 0.020 mg EAG/g) and tannins (414.37 ± 0.16 mg EAG/g) in the MeOH extract, which was effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens, with MIC of 1 mg/ ml and CMM of 2 mg/ml. The MIC and MMC of AcOEt for Micrococcus luteus was 1 mg/mL, this was also considered the minimum concentration necessary for the Hex extract to act on the S. aureus strain. The MeOH extract showed greater antioxidant activity by the DPPH (79.09%) and reducing power (327.2 ± 0.00 mg EAA/g) methods, while the AcOEt extract showed greater activity by the phosphomolybdenum method (40.5%). However, none of the extracts showed a photoprotective effect against UV radiation. In summary, this study revealed that the leaves of H. succosa have secondary metabolites with bactericidal potential, in addition to antioxidant action.
Highlights
Human culture has always been influenced by plant biodiversity, mainly due to the medicinal properties it provides, boosting the search for bioactive compounds for the synthesis of new drugs, with secondary metabolites considered to be leading molecules both in natural form and in models for medicinal chemistry (Valli et al, 2012).In this scenario, the Melastomataceae family stands out, which has more than 4,800 species distributed in different regions of the world, predominantly in the Neotropical area
This study was conducted at the Microbiology and Bromatology Laboratories located at the Federal Institute of Pernambuco (IFPE) - Campus Barreiros, Barreiros/PE, Brazil
The extracts yield obtained from 300 g of H. succosa leaves were: hexane - 3 g (1% w/w); ethyl acetate - 4 g (1.5% w/w); and methanol - 9 g (3% w/w)
Summary
Human culture has always been influenced by plant biodiversity, mainly due to the medicinal properties it provides, boosting the search for bioactive compounds for the synthesis of new drugs, with secondary metabolites considered to be leading molecules both in natural form and in models for medicinal chemistry (Valli et al, 2012). In this scenario, the Melastomataceae family stands out, which has more than 4,800 species distributed in different regions of the world, predominantly in the Neotropical area. Henriettea succosa (Aubl.) DC., popularly known as mundururu-meloso in Brazil, is a tree species that can reach 5 to 13 m in height. Given absent works in the literature about the biological activities of the referred species, this research aimed to perform the phytochemical analysis and determine the antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of the H. succosa leaves
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