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The Inga genus comprises approximately 300 species that can be found from Mexico to northern Argentina. In folk medicine, Inga species are used to treat various diseases. The species Inga laurina is widely found in the Brazilian flora; however, there are few studies about its biological activity and chemical composition. The main purpose of this study was to identify and isolate the chemical constituents of Inga laurina barks and to evaluate the antifungal and cytotoxic activities. The total content of phenolics, proanthocyanidins, and flavonoids from the barks of Inga laurina were performed by spectrophotometric methods and the ethyl acetate (EAF) and n-butanol (BF) fractions showed the best results. Eleven compounds were identified in EAF by HPLC-ESI(−)-MS/MS, which showed good antifungal activity with MIC values of 23.4 and 46.8 μg mL−1, evaluated by broth microdilution method. Five new compounds of the genus Inga were isolated for the first time. Three of these compounds were isolated and reported on the literature for the first time: a proanthocyanidin B-type, gallocatechin-(4α→8)-4’-O-methylgallocatechin (XI) and two proanthocyanidins A-type, gallocatechin-(2→O→7,4→8)-4’-O-methylgallocatechin (XII) and gallocatechin-3-O-galloyl-(2→O→7,4→8)-4’-O-methylgallocatechin (XIII). The chemical study of the plant bark showed that this species is rich in phenolic compounds and it has great potential for the discovery of new bioactive compounds.

Objectives This work aimed to evaluate the antifungal and cytotoxic activity of the EtOH extract and fractions of Banisteriopsis argyrophylla leaves, and to perform the identification of these bioactive metabolites. Methods The EtOAc fraction (EAF) obtained from the ethanolic extract of B. argyrophylla leaves showed better antifungal potential against Candida spp. In this fraction, ten flavonoids have been identified by UHPLC-ESI-MSn. Then, EAF was submitted to column chromatography to give four new fractions (A1–A4). The cytotoxicity was determined against Vero cells. Key findings The EAF showed better antifungal potential against Candida spp. with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) between 31.25 and 93.75 μg/ml. The (–)-catechin (fraction A1) showed a MIC of 2.83 μg/ml against Candida glabrata. Fractions A2, A3 and A4 were rich in quercetins and kaempferols and showed good inhibitory concentrations (5.86–46.87 μg/ml) against C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. Conclusions The EtOH extract, fractions and the isolated (–)-catechin showed lower toxicity to Vero cells than cisplatin, used as a positive control. Thus, the leaves of B. argyrophylla are a promising source of antifungal agents.

The species Inga laurina is native to the Brazilian Cerrado. There are no studies about the chemical composition and biological activities of extracts of this endangered species. The ethanolic extract and its successive fractions are rich in phenolic compounds and presented good antifungal activities. HPLC/MS-MS/MS and H1/C13 analysis led to the identification of seventeen compounds, most of which are gallic acid derivatives, myricetin and quercetin glycosides. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) contained high levels of total phenolics, expressed in milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract (475.3 ± 1.9 mg GAE gextract-1) and flavonoids expressed in milligrams of quercetin equivalents per gram of extract (359.3 ± 10.6 mg QE gextract-1). This fraction was active against fungi of the Candida genus. The EAF showed MIC value 11.7 μg mL−1 against C. glabrata and a selectivity index of 1.6 against Vero cells. The flavonol glycoside myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside was isolated for the first time from the Inga laurina. These results make I. laurina a promising plant as a source of pharmaceutical and biological active antifungal compounds.

In Mozambique, a large part of the population depends on plants for the treatment of various diseases. However, some of them have been little studied in relation to chemical and biological aspects. Among these species, Ozoroa obovata is widely used in traditional medicine in Mozambique. The factors that influence the use of medicinal plants in developing countries are mainly cultural habits, the inefficiency of the health system and the high cost of medicines. This work aimed to study the chemical composition and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the twigs of O. obovata. Through the analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (HPLC-MS-ESI), it was possible to propose that in the ethanolic extract of the twigs, most of the constituents belong to the classes of phenolic acids and flavonoid. The phenolic compounds were represented by quinic, gallic and protocatechuic acids and five anacardic acids, whereas flavonoids were represented by mangiferin, taxifolin and quercetin mono and dihexoside. The extract was evaluated against bacteria in the oral cavity and showed moderate activity against Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis (minimum inhibitory concentration - MIC 400 µg mL –1 ). In relation antifungal test, the extract showed activity against Candida albicans with MIC of 3000 µg mL –1 . The biological results indicated that the twigs of O. obovata have bioactive metabolites with antimicrobial potential.

Banisteriopsis laevifolia (A. Juss.) B. Gates (Malpighiaceae) is largely distributed in the cerrado Brazilian biome. In this study, phytochemical screening, antimicrobial and antifungal activities of leaves extract and partitions were evaluated. Phytochemical screening tests indicated the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, sugar, steroids, triterpenoids, and tannins compounds. No alkaloids or nitrogenated compounds were found. Antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activities were tested. The extract and partitions from the B. laevifolia leaves demonstrated relevant scavenging free radical DPPH effect. The crude extract and partitions inhibit bacteria growth with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) below 400 mg L −1 for most oral microorganisms tested. Meanwhile, the antifungal activity proved to be very promising for the ethanolic extract and partitions (31–375 μg mL −1 ) against all yeasts tested. The antimicrobial activities results are very promising since the ethanol extract and the more active n -buthanol partition showed great selectivity (0.9–1.2; 0.1–0.7, respectively) against microorganisms and relatively low toxicity to Vero cells. Analysis by UHPLC-ESI–MS n from the most bioactive fractions (ethyl acetate and n -buthanol) permitted to identify ten phenolic compounds reported in the Banisteriopsis family that exert recognized antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activity. Main secondary metabolites found were phenolic acids and flavonoid glycosides, mainly derivatives from quercetin and rutin. The biological activity results and MS analysis for the B.laevifolia leaves revealed that they have efficient antimicrobial agents, and contributed to knowledge of the genus.