Avaliação do potencial antimicrobiano e toxicidade em diferentes partes do Trapiá (Crataeva tapia L.), provenientes do semiárido cearense

Abstract

Plants, since the dawn of humanity, are used and applied in various herbal practices. They are mainly known for their natural conservative effects, and are also used in the food industry, with emphasis on natural and healthy food. Based on these practices and on recent studies carried out with plants and their substances, the plant species Crataeva tapia L. (Trapiá), is found in the semi-arid region, belonging to the Capparaceae family and appears as a source of compounds that have bioactive properties, antioxidants and antimicrobials. Seeking to promote its possible application as a coadjuvant in the conservation of products in the food industry, the present work aimed to analyze aqueous extracts obtained through maceration, turbolization and ultrasound-assisted extractive techniques, from different parts of Trapiá (leaves, flowers and petiole), focusing on their antimicrobial properties and their toxicity. Each part of Trapiá was selected, weighed, sanitized, dehydrated and subjected to aqueous extraction, with acute lethality bioassays being performed against Artemia salina, followed by agar diffusion through wells to determine antimicrobial activity. As a result of the toxicity tests, non-toxicity (LC50 > 1000 μg/mL) was evidenced for most extracts (FOTM, FOTT, FOTU, FTT, PTT, PTM and PTU). For the antimicrobial analysis, only the PTM extract showed an inhibition halo of 9 mm for the concentration of 100 mg/mL, demonstrating antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, on the other hand, it did not show any effect on Salmonella Enteritidis. Therefore, it can be observed absence of toxicity for the analyzed concentration of the extracts of C. tapia against Artemia salina and antimicrobial activity, only for one of the extracts, being in its maximum concentration tested. It is suggested that new research be carried out, aiming at the use of milder drying temperatures, different extractive techniques, application of concentration methods, use of non-polar solvents and finally the use of extracts on a dry basis, aiming at increasing the concentration of the bioactive substances present in the extracts. In this way, the potential use of Crataeva tapia L. will be more evident and its application in food industry products can be considered.