Planta Med 2010; 76 - P504
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1264802

Antibacterial actvity and synergistic effect investigation of terpenoids from Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. against cariogenic bacteria

R Sola Veneziani 1, A Borges Souza 1, C Gomes Martins 1, M Mendes Souza 1, N Araçari Jacometti Cardoso Furtado 2, V Constantino Gomes Heleno 1, J Barreto de Sousa 2, J Kenupp Bastos 2, W Cunha 1, S Ambrósio 1
  • 1UNIFRAN, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Av. Dr. Armando Salles de Oliveira, 201– Parque Universitário, 14404600 Franca, Brazil
  • 2FCFRP-USP, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Av. Do Café s/n, 14040–903 Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

In the present work, the anticariogenic activities of nine labdane type-diterpenes and four sesquiterpenes were investigated (Figure). Among these metabolites, (–)- copalic acid (2) was the most active compound displaying very promising MIC values (ranging from 2.0 to 6.0µg mL-1) against the main microorganisms responsible for dental caries: Streptococcus salivarius, S. sobrinus, S. mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguinis and Lactobacillus casei [1]. Due to its highest anticariogenic activity, the synergistic effect of 2 combined with the anticariogenic gold standard (chlorhexidine, CHD) was investigated in the checkerboard assays [2] against the most important cariogenic microorganism (S. mutans). No synergistic effect was observed but the MIC values obtained allow us to conclude that 2 is an important metabolite in the search for new effective anticariogenic agents.

Fig.1: Chemical structures of C. langsdorfii terpenoids

Acknowledgements: FAPESP (Proc. 2009/09438–3)

References: 1. Chung et al. (2006) Phytomedicine 13: 261–266.

2. White et al (1996) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 40: 1914–1918.