Chemical composition and antimycoplasmic activity of eugenia mattosii leaves, stems and isolated compounds

Abstract

The Eugenia genus is rich in bioactive substances with biological potential. Mollicutes are bacteria without cell walls, which are responsible for various human and animal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and antimollicute activity of Eugenia mattosii. Leaves and stems were extracted with methanol, partitioned into fractions of different polarities, and submitted to column chromatography in order to isolate major compounds. Identification and quantification of isolated substances in extracts and fractions were performed by UPLC-PDA/ESI+ - QTOF. Methanolic extracts, ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions and isolated substances were screened for antimycoplasmic activity against five Mycoplasma strains. The methanolic extracts of leaves and stems showed moderate antimycoplasmic activity (MICs = 250-500 µg.mL -1 ). The fractions exhibited better effect, with MICs = 125-1000 µg.mL -1 , especially the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves, which presented MICs of 125-250 µg.mL -1 for all strains tested. Phytochemical analyses evidenced the presence of some phenolic compounds, including pinostrobin, cryptostrobin and catechin, the first showing promising antimycoplasmic activity. Quantification of the compounds demonstrated higher concentrations of pinostrobin and cryptostrobin in the chloroform fraction. In conclusion, E. mattosii presented antimycoplasmic activity related, at least in part, to the presence of pinostrobin.