Bioprospecting of Piperaceae species

Author(s)

Juliana Beltrame Reigada

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2009-07-14

Examining board members

Massuo Jorge Kato; Miriam Sannomiya; Cassius Vinicius Stevani

• Advisor: Massuo Jorge Kato

Abstract

The present study was addressed to evaluate the antifungal activity of crude extracts from Piperaceae species in which different parts of the plant (leaves, stems and roots) were assessed by means of bioautography against Cladosporium cladosporioides and Cladosporium sphaerospermum. After antifungal assay, the extratcs from Piper mollicomum, Piper marginatum, Peperomia alata and Peperomia glabella displayed higher growth inhibitory potency and thus were selected for further fractionation and purification using chromatographic techniques. Such dereplication using the bioautographic assay yielded two chromenes and one dihydrochalcone; two flavanones and three phenylpropanoids, including the novel compound marginatumol; two new polyketides, alatanone A and alatanone B; four acylresorcinols and four secolignans, including the novel peperomin G, respectively. The bioautography indicated potential antifungal activity for all isolated metabolites and compounds alatanone A and alatanone B were found the most active in comparison to positive controls (nystatin and miconazole). The bioprospecting approach was proven to be very effective when the isolation of bioactive compounds from a collection of crude extracts is concerned, although not necessarily unraveling the major biosynthetic pathways in each plant species. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 06/52363-6 - Bioprospection in species of Piperaceae
• Grantee: Juliana Beltrame Reigada
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master