Preliminary investigation on phytochemical composition and biological activity of Cunila microcephala Benth.

Alan da Silva Felisbino; MarÃ­lia Schutz Borges; Daniela Dimer Leffa; Paula da Silva Cardoso; Claus Troger Pich; Vanessa Moraes de Andrade; PatrÃ­cia de Aguiar Amaral*

doi:10.5897/JMPR2014.5428

Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
Language: English
ISSN: 1996-0875
DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
Start Year: 2007
Published Articles: 3835

Full Length Research Paper

Preliminary investigation on phytochemical composition and biological activity of Cunila microcephala Benth.

Alan da Silva Felisbino

Alan da Silva Felisbino
LaboratÃ³rio de Plantas Medicinais, Programa de PÃ³s GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias Ambientais. Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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MarÃlia Schutz Borges

MarÃlia Schutz Borges
LaboratÃ³rio de Plantas Medicinais, Programa de PÃ³s GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias Ambientais. Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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Daniela Dimer Leffa

Daniela Dimer Leffa
LaboratÃ³rio de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Programa de PÃ³s-GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias da SaÃºde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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Paula da Silva Cardoso

Paula da Silva Cardoso
LaboratÃ³rio de Plantas Medicinais, Programa de PÃ³s GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias Ambientais. Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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Claus Troger Pich

Claus Troger Pich
LaboratÃ³rio de Toxicologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - campus AraranguÃ¡, UFSC, 889.06-072, AraranguÃ¡, SC, Brasil.
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Vanessa Moraes de Andrade

Vanessa Moraes de Andrade
LaboratÃ³rio de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Programa de PÃ³s-GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias da SaÃºde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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PatrÃcia de Aguiar Amaral*

PatrÃcia de Aguiar Amaral*
LaboratÃ³rio de Plantas Medicinais, Programa de PÃ³s GraduaÃ§Ã£o em CiÃªncias Ambientais. Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, UNESC, 888.06-000, CriciÃºma, SC, Brasil.
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Article Number - AACB0A645220
Vol.8(21), pp. 780- 787 , June 2014
https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR2014.5428

Received: 21 March 2014
Accepted: 25 May 2014
Published: 03 June 2014

Abstract

Ethnobotanical studies have investigated the use of leaves of Cunila microcephala for respiratory, stomach and gastrointestinal disorders. The essential oil of this plant is mostly composed of menthofuran, which has a hepatotoxic effect. Due to the popular use of this plant in southern Brazil, this study aimed to perform phytochemical profile of C. microcephala to detect and determine the amount of secondary metabolites and to evaluate their microbiological activity in vitro and genetic damage in vivo, indicative of genotoxicity, to ensure safe use of the plant. The leaf extract of C. microcephala was investigated for the presence of phenolic compounds, such as tannins, coumarins and flavonoids. This extract contained 193.23 mg/ml of phenolic compounds. In our in vitro analysis of microbiological activity, the crude leaf extract of C. microcephala showed 6 mm zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus; fractions of dichloromethane and ethyl acetate showed 4 mm zones. In the genotoxic analysis, using the comet assay, no genotoxic effects were observed in blood samples and the liver at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg. According to the results, C. microcephala presents interesting secondary compounds with biological activity, showing antimicrobial effects in vitro and no genotoxic effects in vivo.