engleski

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ECHINACEAE PURPUREAE HERBA EXTRACT

The pharmaceutical products prepared from above and/or underground parts of some Echinacea species exhibited immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo (1). Just few studies investigated a direct antimicrobial activity of Echinacea (2, 3). In our study we spectrophotometrically analyzed three Echinacea species cultivated in Pharmaceutical Botanical Garden „Fran Kušan“ (Zagreb): E. purpurea (L.) Monch, E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. and E. tennesseennsis (Beadle) Small to estimate the content of polyphenols in leaves, flowers and roots, according to Eur. Ph. Based on the highest content of polyphenols (11.00 ± 0.28 %), non- tannin polyphenols (7.05 ± 0.09 %), tannins (3.95 ± 0.19 %), phenolic acids (4.53 ± 0.13 %) and flavonoids (0.35 ± 0.005 %) in leaves of E. purpurea, it was selected for further investigation of antifungal activity. We used freeze-dried E. purpureae herba extract (EPE). The in vitro diffusion assay according to Eur. Ph. and dilution assay according to CLSI M27-A3 recommendations were performed using clinical isolates of Candida albicans (CA), C. dubliniensis, C. glabrata and Cryptococcus neoformans. Cytotoxicity screening of EPE was carried out using fluorescent dye exclusion assay. In addition, the assay on inhibition of germination of CA blastospores as virulence factor was developed in foetal calf serum. EPE was inactive in diffusion assay, whilst MIC values were species depended and between 2.5 and 10 mg/mL. Cytotoxicity effects of EPE were concentration depended, and doses of EPE 1.0 and 1.25 mg/mL caused highly significant reduction of the viability of CA blastospores. Predominant type of cell death observed after treatment of CA eith EPE was apoptosis, which prevailed over necrosis. The concentrations of 1.0 and 1.25 mg/mL of EPE, significantly inhibited germination of CA. The results showed that EPE have also direct antifungal activity against medically important yeasts. 1. I. Kosalec, Echinacea vrste – biljni imunostimulansi (od iskustva Indijanca do moderne fitofarmcije), vlastita naklada, Zagreb 2006. 2. S. M. Sharma, M. Anderson, S. R. Schoop, J. B. Hudson, Phytomedicine 17 (2010) in press. 3. S. E. Binns, B. Purgina, C. Bergeron, M. L. Smith, L. Ball, B. R. Baum, J. T. Arnason, Planta Med. 66 (2000) 241−244. P/FF-67 154

Echinacea; antifungal

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