Evaluation of the antifungal and genotoxicological activities of Byrsonima ligustrifolia extract incorporated or not in microemulsions

Abstract

The medicinal plants have a valuable contribution to the advancement of new therapeutic strategies through their secondary metabolites. The plants of the genus Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) represent a rich source of catechin and epicatechin derivatives and according to the literature, some species present scientifically proven pharmacological activities, such as antiulcerogenic, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antioxidant and antiinflammatory. Our group demonstrated the mutagenic activity by the Ames test of the 70% ethanolic extract (EtOH 70%) of leaves of Byrsonima ligustrifolia. Therefore, the objective of the present study will be to evaluate the antifungal, cytotoxic and mutagenic potential of the B. ligustrifolia extract incorporated and not incorporated in nanostructured lipid systems (SLN - microemulsions). The extract will be incorporated into two formulations already developed and characterized by our group, named SLN1 and SLN2. Both have as surfactante, polyoxyethylene 20 cetyl ether (Brij® 58) and soybean phosphatidylcholine in the ratio 2: 1 and as the aqueous phase Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) pH 7.4. What differs is that one possesses the grape seed oil (GSO) and cholesterol in the ratio of 5: 1 as the oil phase (SLN1) and the other only the cholesterol (SLN2). The antifungal potential will be evaluated against yeasts Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis by the technique of dilution in microplates, the cytotoxicity against cells GM-07492 which are normal fibroblasts and HepG2 cells of human hepatocellular carcinoma by having a metabolism profile, and mutagenicity by the Ames test, in order to verify the influence of nanotechnology on the previously detected mutagenicity. These results will support the antifungal properties of B. ligustrifolia extract, free and associated to nanotechnology, besides the cytotoxic and mutagenic effect, contributing in the search of new natural products with biological activities.