Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of <i>Croton heliotropiifolius</i> Kunth
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
Affiliations
Priscilla Augusta de Sousa Fernandes
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Josefa Carolaine Pereira da Silva
Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Débora Lima Sales
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos Ribeiro
Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, Tropical R. Pernambuco, 2270–Pici, Fortaleza 60511-110, Brazil
Edy Sousa de Brito
Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, Tropical R. Pernambuco, 2270–Pici, Fortaleza 60511-110, Brazil
Marta Regina Kerntopf
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Gyllyandeson de Araújo Delmondes
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Jacqueline Cosmo Andrade Pinheiro
Laboratório de Bioensaios, Universidade Federal do Cariri—UFCA, R. Olegário Emídio de Araújo, s/n, Centro, Brejo Santo 63260-000, Brazil
Gerson Javier Torres Salazar
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Francisco Lucas Alves Batista
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Francisco Ernani Alves Magalhães
Inhamuns Region Education, Science and Technology Center, Universidade Estadual do Ceará—UECE, BR-020—Bezerra de Sousa, Tauá 63660-000, Brazil
Maria Celeste Vega Gomez
Center for the Development of Scientific Research, Asuncion 1255, Paraguay
Míriam Rolón
Center for the Development of Scientific Research, Asuncion 1255, Paraguay
Cathia Coronel
Laboratório de Investigação em Genética e Hematologia Translacional, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Salvador 40296-710, Brazil
Jaime Ribeiro-Filho
Laboratório de Investigação em Genética e Hematologia Translacional, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Salvador 40296-710, Brazil
José Weverton Almeida-Bezerra
Department of Botany, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco—UFPE, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife 50670-901, Brazil
Abolghasem Siyadatpanah
Ferdows School of Paramedical and Health, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand 9717853577, Iran
Veeranoot Nissapatorn
School of Allied Health Sciences, World Union for Herbal Drug Discovery (WUHeDD) and Research Excellence Center for Innovation and Health Products (RECIHP), Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Maria de Lourdes Pereira
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials and Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho
Department of Biological Chemistry, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Maria Flaviana Bezerra Morais-Braga
Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Regional do Cariri—URCA, Av. Cel Antônio Luis, 1161, Pimenta, Crato 63105-010, Brazil
Croton heliotropiifolius 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 C. heliotropiifolius. 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 Candida 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 Trypanosoma cruzi and promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum, 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 Candida strains. Although the extract showed low cytotoxicity against fibroblasts, it also had weak antiparasitic effects. In conclusion, Croton heliotropiifolius is a source of natural products with antifungal and antioxidant potential.
