Investigation of antifungal activity from Vismia guianensis (Aubl.) standardized extract

In the Amazon, the use of medicinal plants by native populations is an important source of ethnopharmacological knowledge. Vismia guianensis (Aubl.) Choisy is widely used against diseases caused by fungi. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antifungal potential of the species Vismia guianensis (Aubl.) Choisy and the influence of extractive parameters on the antifungal activity. Dried extracts were prepared from leaves and tested for activity against the fungal species Candida albicans, Malassezia furfur, and Trichophyton rubrum. The most promising extract was obtained with polar solvents (methanol and ethanol), and no significant difference was measured between the activities exhibited by these extracts (MIC 410 µg/mL). The method of maceration and ethanol:water 1:1 (v/v) presented the lowest MIC and when the extracts were dried in a spray drier showed MIC for C. albicans 1.66 mg/mL; M. furfur 8.0 mg/mL and T. rubrum 1.0 mg/mL. The dried extract from leaves of Vismia guianensis demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against the growth of fungi tested, indicating that this plant has great potential to be an effective botanically derived drug for the treatment of cutaneous mycoses.