Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of <i>Croton heliotropiifolius</i> Kunth

• Main Authors: Priscilla Augusta de Sousa Fernandes, Josefa Carolaine Pereira da Silva, Débora Lima Sales, Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos Ribeiro, Edy Sousa de Brito, Marta Regina Kerntopf, Gyllyandeson de Araújo Delmondes, Jacqueline Cosmo Andrade Pinheiro, Gerson Javier Torres Salazar, Francisco Lucas Alves Batista, Francisco Ernani Alves Magalhães, Maria Celeste Vega Gomez, Míriam Rolón, Cathia Coronel, Jaime Ribeiro-Filho, José Weverton Almeida-Bezerra, Abolghasem Siyadatpanah, Veeranoot Nissapatorn, Maria de Lourdes Pereira, Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho, Maria Flaviana Bezerra Morais-Braga
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Antibiotics
• Subjects: <i>Croton heliotropiifolius</i>; phenolic compounds; antioxidant; antifungal; cytotoxicity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/10/9/1074

<i>Croton heliotropiifolius</i> Kunth (Euphorbiaceae), whose occurrence has already been registered in the most varied Brazilian biomes, is commonly found in the Chapada do Araripe, Ceará. The species is traditionally used to treat fungal, parasitic, and degenerative diseases. This study investigated the chemical composition and pharmacological potential (antioxidant, antifungal, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic) of an aqueous extract obtained from the roots of <i>C. heliotropiifolius</i>. Following a qualitative phytochemical screening, the chemical constituents were identified by ultra-efficiency liquid chromatography coupled witha quadrupole/time-of-flight system (UPLC-QTOF). The antioxidant potential was verified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The direct and combined antifungal activity of the extract against opportunistic <i>Candida</i> strains was investigated using the microdilution method. The minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) was determined by subculture, while the modulation of the morphological transition (fungal virulence) was evaluated by light microscopy. The in vitro antiparasitic activity was analyzed using epimastigotes of <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> and promastigotes of <i>Leishmania braziliensis</i> and <i>Leishmania infantum,</i> while cytotoxicity was determined in cultures of mouse fibroblasts. The phytochemical analysis identified the presence of acids, terpenes, flavonoids, lignans, and alkaloids. Among these constituents, the presence of polar and non-polar phenolic compounds with known antioxidant action was highlighted. While the extract showed clinically ineffective antifungal effects, it could enhance the effectiveness of fluconazole, in addition to inhibiting the morphological transition associated with increased virulence in <i>Candida</i> strains. Although the extract showed low cytotoxicity against fibroblasts, it also had weak antiparasitic effects. In conclusion, <i>Croton heliotropiifolius</i> is a source of natural products with antifungal and antioxidant potential.