Argentinean Propolis from Zuccagnia punctata Cav.(Caesalpinieae) Exudates: Phytochemical Characterization and Antifungal Activity

AGÜERO, MARÍA BELÉN; GONZALEZ, MARIELA; LIMA, BEATRIZ; SVETAZ, LAURA; SÁNCHEZ, MARIANELA; ZACCHINO, SUSANA; FERESIN, GABRIELA; SCHMEDA-HIRSCHMANN, GUILLERMO; PALERMO, JORGE; WUNDERLIN, DANIEL; TAPIA, ALEJANDRO

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2010 vol. 58 p. 194 - 201

0021-8561

This paper reports the in vitro antifungal activity of propolis extracts from the province of Tucumán (Argentina) as well as the identification of their main antifungal compounds and botanical origin. The antifungal activity was determined by the microdilution technique, using reference microorganisms and clinical isolates. All dermatophytes and yeasts tested were strongly inhibited by different propolis extracts (MICs between 16 and 125 μg mL-1. The most susceptible species were Microsporum gypseum,Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum. The main bioactive compounds were 2,4-dihydroxy-3-methoxychalcone 2 and 2,4-dihydroxychalcone 3. Both displayed strong activity against clinical isolates of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes (MICs and MFCs between 1.9 and 2.9 g mL-1). Additionally, galangin 5, pinocembrin 6, and 7-hydroxy-8-methoxyflavanone 9 were isolated from propolis samples and Zuccagnia punctata exudates, showing moderate antifungal activity. This is the first study matching the chemical profile of Z. punctata Cav.exudates with their corresponding propolis, giving strong evidence on the botanical origin of the studied propolis.