PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY, PHYTOCHEMICAL PROSPECTION AND DOSAGE OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM Tarenaya spinosa (Jacq.) Raf.

Abstract

Teranaya spinosa (Jacq.) Raf. popularly known as mussambê, is a medicinal plant from the caatinga, popularly used for respiratory problems such as flu, asthma, bronchitis, cough, tuberculosis, otitis, pneumonia and inflammation in general, most caused by bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Escherichia and Acinetobacter. Based on ethnopharmacology, this work aimed to study the preliminary antimicrobial activity, phytochemical composition and quantification of active compounds of mussambê. The aerial parts, collected in Malhada de Pedra, Caruaru – PE, were processed and submitted to maceration (hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol), obtaining three dry extracts. The yield of the extracts was calculated in percentage with values of the powdered dry plant drug and the weight of the dry extracts. Microbial analysis was performed using the bioautography technique and phytochemical analyzes were performed using CCD and spectrophotometry (quantification). A yield of 6.87%, 2.28% and 10.22% was obtained for the hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts, respectively. In bioautography, the ethyl acetate extract proved to be the most active, inhibiting the growth of 6 of the 10 strains tested. The ethyl acetate extract showed coumarins and triterpenes/steroids as active compounds. Quantitative analysis of the active extract showed a concentration of 39.38±4.89 mg EC/g of coumarin derivatives and 338.48±28.48 mg EEstg/g of triterpenes and steroids. It is presumed that mussambê has antimicrobial activity against bacteria that cause respiratory diseases, activity attributed to triterpenes/steroids and coumarins, corroborating the popular use of mussambê. However, further studies of antimicrobial activity are needed.