Atividade antifúngica das folhas de Garcinia gardneriana frente a Cryptococcus neoformans e Cryptococcus gattii

Abstract

Cryptococcosis mainly affects immunocompromised people, causing severe lung disease and cryptococcal meningitis. In addition, it can cause skin lesions and neurocryptococcosis. The medicines currently available have high failure rates in the treatment of fungal infections and the emergence of fungal resistance is a growing problem. In this sense, natural products are a great alternative source in the discovery and development of new drugs of choice in the treatment of cryptococcosis. The present work aims to study the antifungal activity of Garcinia gardneriana leaves against Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. The tests of Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Fungicide/Fungistatic (CFM) against Cryptococcus neoformans and C.gatti assays were performed using ethanolic extract, the fractions, and the isolated compost lupeol. We also executed the cytotoxicity test using J774A.1 macrophage It was possible to observe better MIC results for fraction hexane (25 to 100 μg/mL) and lupeol (12,5 to 100 μg/mL) for both species. Therefore, relating the CIM, CFM, and lethal dose (DL 50 ) of the experiments, lupeol presented relevance for further studies due to its MIC of 12,5μg/mL and DL 50 of 52,8 μg/mL.