Phytochemical prospection and evaluation of antimicrobial, antioxidant and antibiofilm activities of extracts and essential oil from leaves of Myrsine umbellata Mart. (Primulaceae)

Abstract

The species Myrsine umbellata is a native plant of Brazil, whose barks are traditionally used in herbal medicine to treat liver disorders and combat leprosy. Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify the phytochemical prospection of ethanolic (EE) and acetonic (EA) extracts by colorimetric tests and by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the essential oil (EO) of M. umbellata leaves; evaluate the antimicrobial activity in front of standard ATCC strains by the broth microdilution technique; the antioxidant potential by DPPH reduction method and antibiofilm action by crystal violet assay and cell viability was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) based on optical density. Phytochemical prospection of EE and EA detected the presence of free steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids (flavones, flavononoids, flavonols and xanthons) and tannins in both extracts (EE and EA) and saponins only in EE. In EO, the majority compounds identified were elixene, caryophyllene (E), spatulenol, d-Cadinene and aromadendrene. EA showed antimicrobial activity with MIC and MBC/MFC values ranging from 3.12 to 100 mg.mL-1, highlighting its efficiency on the Gram-positive strain S. epidermidis. EE showed antimicrobial potential in the range of 3.12 to 200 mg.mL-1, and the Gram-negative E. coli strain was the most susceptible. However, OE showed bacteriostatic potential against S. Typhimurium, S. Abaetetuba, P. aeruginosa, and S. epidermidis strains. The ability to sequester free radicals was evident in EA extract with antioxidant activity of 89.55% and in EE with 63.05%. The antibiofilm potential was observed in EE extract which eradicated the mature biofilm biomass of all tested bacteria with high activity (50% to 84.28%) and EO also showed antibiofilm effect on mature biofilm of UEL enteroaggregative E. coli, S. aureus and S. Enteritidis strains with biomass reduction percentage of 63.74%, 68.04% and 86.19%, respectively. These results indicate the potential of M. umbellata extracts and as a source of plant bioactivity for the development of new alternative strategies for the control of planktonic or biofilm-resistant microorganisms.