Antimycobacterial activity of Achyrocline flaccida (Asteraceae) aqueous extract from Southern Brazil

Abstract

Achyrocline flaccida aqueous extract was obtained by macerating wildflowers. The phytochemical profile present in the A. flaccida aqueous extract was elucidated by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Toxicity was evaluated in vitro by comet assay in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model. The antioxidant activity was also evaluated, and antimycobacterial activity was assessed by the broth microdilution method. The compounds present in the aqueous extract mainly belonged to the flavonoid class (89%). The concentrations that showed protective effects in C. elegans against oxidative stress and antimycobacterial activity had no toxic effects. The antimycobacterial activity test demonstrated that the concentration of 1,560 µg mL⁻¹ inhibited the growth and eradication of the mycobacterial tested strains. Based on our findings, the A. flaccida aqueous extract presents a viable potential in developing new phytotherapeutic drugs against mycobacteria of clinical relevance.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Microorganisms
• flavonoids
• mycobacteriosis
• toxicity
• phytotherapy

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa doRio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS).