Identification of antifungal compounds from the Root Bark of Cordia anisophylla J.S. Mill.

Authors: Favre-Godal, Quentin; Pinto, Sébastien; Dorsaz, Stephane; Rutz, Adriano; Marcourt, Laurence; Gupta, Mahabir; Sanglard, Dominique; Queiroz, Emerson F.; Wolfender, Jean-Luc

Description: The dichloromethane extract of the root bark of the Panamanian plant Cordia anisophylla J.S. Mill. (Boraginaceae) presented antifungal activity against a susceptible strain of Candida albicans in a bioautography primary screening. The susceptible strain was used to detect minor active compounds that would not have been detected using a classical approach. In order to identify the antimicrobial compounds, the active extract was fractionated by semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and the fractions were submitted to the antifungal bioassay. This procedure enabled a precise localization of the antifungal compounds directly in the chromatogram of the crude extract and allowed for an efficient, targeted isolation. Four compounds were isolated, one of which is a new natural product. The structures were elucidated using spectroscopic methods. Their antifungal properties were evaluated by determination of the minimum inhibitory quantity and concentration by bioautography and dilution assay against a wild type strain of C. albicans.