ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF Dalea carthagenensis (JACQ.) J. F. MACBR.

Abstract

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley (State of Puebla) is an area of great floristic importance, because of its wide variety of plant species. Dalea carthagenensis is used by the inhabitants of the Valley as anti-inflammatory and for treatment of gastrointestinal infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of flowers and stems of D. carthagenensis from extracts of different polarity and to determine their general chemical composition. The hexane, acetone and methanol extracts of flowers and stems was obtained by the maceration method. Antibacterial and antifungal activity was assessed by agar diffusion, inhibition of radial growth and agar dilution methods. The chemical composition of the species was determined by qualitative tests for phenols, terpenes, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and glycosides. The hexane extracts showed the highest antibacterial and antifungal activity. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 was the most susceptible to the hexane extract of flowers (MIC = 0.125 mg/mL) and stem (MIC = 0.5 mg / mL). The antifungal activity test showed that Candida albicans ATCC 14065, C. albicans 17MR, C. albicans 18MR, C. albicans cc and C. tropicalis HA were the most susceptible to the hexane extract of flowers (MIC = 0.125 mg/mL). Trichophyton mentagrophytes was the filamentous fungus most susceptible to acetone and hexane extracts obtained from flowers and stems. The extracts inhibited over 90 % the radial growth of the fungus at the concentration of 0.125 mg/mL. The presence of terpenes, phenols, saponins and tannins was detected in the extracts. Results validate the medicinal use of D. carthagenensis in the treatment of diseases of infectious origin.