Antifungal activity of trichothecenes from Fusarium sp. against clinical isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a human mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, is a serious public health problem in several countries of Latin America. In our search we found that the crude extract of the endophytic fungus UFMGCB 551 was able to inhibit several clinical strains of P. brasiliensis, and was also active in the bioautographic assay against Cladosporium sphaerospermum. The endophytic fungus UFMGCB 551 was isolated from the plant Piptadenia adiantoides J.F. Macbr (Fabaceae). The fungus was identified as Fusarium sp. based on its macro- and micro-morphology, and on the sequence of the internally transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of its rRNA gene. The chromatographic fractionation of the fungal extract was guided by the bioautographic assay to afford three known trichothecene mycotoxins: T2-toxin (1) and a mixture of 8-n-butyrylneosolaniol (2) and 8-isobutyrylsolaniol (3). The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the these compounds against eleven clinical strains of P. brasiliensis were evaluated and found to be in the range between 75 and 640 nmol l(-1) for 1 and 160-640 nmol l(-1) for the mixture of 2 and 3.

Diversity and Biological Activities of Endophytic Fungi Associated with Micropropagated Medicinal Plant <i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (L.) Moench

“…Among the isolates are the Cladosporium species, known to produce several secondary metabolites such as cladosporin, emodin, phytase, taxol and antifouling compounds [32] and Fusarium species that synthesize several biologically active metabolites including fusaric acid, moniliformin, fumonisins, zearalenon, enniatins and trichothecenes [33]. The phylotyes F. oxysporum UM16 and UM78 showed phylogenetic similarities to two other strains of F. oxysporum (FJ605243, FJ605244), recovered from orchid species, Epidendrum secundum and Acianthera teres.…”

“…Most of the fungal isolates producing active compounds were associated with plants harvested in their habitats [23,32,33]. According to Taylor et al [3], the removal of species from their natural environment results in plants more susceptible to attack of different pathogens because disrupt specific or coevolved endophytic communities.…”

In vitro antifungal activity of fatty acid methyl esters of the seeds of Annona cornifolia A.St.-Hil. (Annonaceae) against pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

“…In this study, FAME from A. cornifolia showed activity similar to enantiomers goniothalamin against P. brasiliensis isolates. In another experiment, Campos et al 11 tested the in vitro susceptibility of 11 clinical P. brasiliensis isolates to trichothecenes from Fusarium sp. The results of the study show that all the isolates were susceptible to T2-toxin and a mixture of 8-n-butyryl-neosolaniol and 8-isobutyryl-neosolaniol.…”

Fundamentals of paracoccidioidomycosis treatment

“…Finally, the discovery of new drugs from plant extracts and other fungal species against infection by P. brasiliensis is also an approach for treating the disease [Campos et al, 2011].…”