In vitro antifungal activity of extracts obtained from Hypericum perforatum adventitious roots cultured in a mist bioreactor against planktonic cells and biofilm of Malassezia furfur

Abstract

Xanthone-rich extracts from Hypericum perforatum root cultures grown in a Mist Bioreactor as antifungal agents against Malassezia furfur.

Extracts of Hypericum perforatum roots grown in a bioreactor showed activity against planktonic cells and biofilm of Malassezia furfur. Dried biomass, obtained from roots grown under controlled conditions in a ROOTec mist bioreactor, has been extracted with solvents of increasing polarity (i.e. chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol). The methanolic fraction was the richest in xanthones (2.86 ± 0.43 mg g^− 1 DW) as revealed by HPLC. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the methanol extract against M. furfur planktonic cells was 16 μg mL^− 1. The inhibition percentage of biofilm formation, at a concentration of 16 μg mL^− 1, ranged from 14% to 39%. The results show that H. perforatum root extracts could be used as new antifungal agents in the treatment of Malassezia infections.

Keywords::

• antifungal activity
• biofilm
• bioreactor
• Hypericum perforatum
• Malassezia furfur
• root cultures
• xanthones

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Sapienza University [grant number C26A14RP98] and by the Project PON 01 01802.