Investigação da potencial atividade antifúngica de Cochlospermum regium (Mart & Schrank) Pilger (Bixaceae) e sua combinação com fluconazol frente a Cryptococcus gattii

Abstract

Cryptococcus gattii is one of the etiologic agents of cryptococcosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system and lungs, both in immunocompromised patients and in healthy patients. Cochlospermum regium, popularly known as algodãozinho, have a popular importance due to large amounts of secondary compounds present, and is used for various therapeutic purposes by the Brazilian population. The present work evaluated the antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract from the leaves of Cochlospermum regium and its interaction with fluconazole against Cryptococcus gattii isolates. The ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity of 125 μg/mL for sputum isolates, 62.5 μg/mL for cerebrospinal fluid isolate and 250 μg/mL for the ATCC used as reference. In order to evaluate the combination of ethanolic extract and fluconazole, all the specimens tested presented indifferent values, where none showed synergistic interaction. The present study was able to contribute with new information for the research area, and can be a point of reference for the development of new antifungal in the treatment of cryptococcosis.