Study of the cytotoxic and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Elyonurus muticus against Candida spp

SABINI L.I.; CORDERO GABRIELLI P.; TORRES C.V.; ESCOBAR F.M.; CACCIABUE M.; ROVERA M; KOLB N

Molecular Medicinal Chemistry

INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS CIENCIAS EXACTAS FÍSICAS Y NATURALES

Año: 2006 vol. 11 p. 31 - 33

1666-888X

The tratment of fungal infections requires effective antifungal agents and low toxicity, but its availability is limited. This situation and the appearance of strains resistant to these agents, requires the search for new medicines, natural sources being an excellent choice. Elyonurus muticus is an aromatic predominant species in northeastern Argentina. At present no known studies on their properties fitomedicinales. That is why we took out an evaluation of the antifungal, associated with cytotoxic action on eukaryotic cells of three chemotype of essential oil of E. muticus. The results indicate that chemotype geraniol was the most active to inhibit the development of fungal strains of Candida spp isolated from clinical cases, followed by citral and acorenona. Given the correlation between the values of CFM and CIM for chemotype citral and geraniol showed their power fungicide. Moreover toxicity on cell cultures induced by 3 AE was evident as morphological alterations of cell substrate, with the disruption of the fabric and its subsequent detachment. The data revealed that geraniol proved to be the least toxic (MCNC = 370 mg / ml) followed by citral (MCNC = 165 mg / ml) and finally acorenona (106.5 mg / ml). The association of data antifungal action and cytotoxic capacity for essential oil of E. muticus are promising since.