1. Chemical Composition and Validation of the Ethnopharmacological Reported Antimicrobial Activity of the Body Fat ofPhrynops geoffroanusUsed in Traditional Medicine
- Author
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Olga Paiva Oliveira, Waltécio de Oliveira Almeida, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves, Diógenes de Queiroz Dias, João Antonio de Araujo Filho, Diêgo Alves Teles, José Guilherme G. Sousa, José Galberto Martins da Costa, Débora Lima Sales, Mario Eduardo Santos Cabral, Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho, and Marta Regina Kerntopf
- Subjects
musculoskeletal diseases ,Phrynops geoffroanus ,Article Subject ,biology ,Traditional medicine ,business.industry ,Pseudomonas aeruginosa ,medicine.drug_class ,Antibiotics ,lcsh:Other systems of medicine ,lcsh:RZ201-999 ,Antimicrobial ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease_cause ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Candida krusei ,medicine ,Gentamicin ,business ,Antibacterial activity ,Bacteria ,Research Article ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background.Phrynops geoffroanusis a small turtle that inhabits lakes, rivers, and streams throughout South America. The body fat of this animal is used as a folk medicine in Brazil for treating illnesses such as sore throats, ear aches, mumps, rheumatism, and arthritis. The present study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of oil extracted fromPhrynops geoffroanus(OPG), determined its chemical composition, and discussed the implications of its use in traditional medicine. The OPG was obtained from the ventral region of this turtle using hexane as a solvent. The antimicrobial activity of OPG was tested against standard and multiresistance strains of bacteria and fungi and its composition was determined indirectly by analyzing the methyl esters of the component fatty acids. The OPG presented a clinically relevant antifungal activity againstCandida kruseiATCC 6258 (MIC 128 µg/mL). When the OPG was associated with the antibacterial and antifungal drugs, was observed a synergistic effect when associated the OPG with the gentamicin against the strainPseudomonas aeruginosa22. Our results indicated that OPG has clinically relevant antifungal activity againstC. krusei, and demonstrated synergetic antibacterial activity in combination with commercial antibiotics againstPseudomonas aeruginosa.
- Published
- 2013
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