Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The phenolic profile and the antibacterial activity against pathogenic commensal
vaginal bacteria exhibited by different fractions of the acetone extract of heather was
assessed. The acetone extract of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull was fractionated by silica
gel column chromatography through an eluent system of increasing polarity, obtaining
10 different fractions (Fr 1 to Fr 10). The phenolic profile was analyzed by HPLCDAD-
ESI/MS. Type B (epi)catechin dimers, (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin were the
main phenolic compounds present in the fractions. The antibacterial activity was also
analyzed against pathogenic bacteria and the effect in the beneficial microflora was also
accessed. Some of the obtained fractions revealed the capacity to inhibit pathogenic
microorganisms without affecting the beneficial microflora, especially Fr 7 and Fr 8.
For instance, Neisseria gonorrhoeae was inhibited by both of the fractions, while Fr 7
was more active against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Morganella morganii, and Fr 8
against methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin
susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), without affecting Lactobacillus strains.
This study corroborates the therapeutic use of this matrix in traditional medicine.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Mandim, Filipa; Barros, Lillian; Heleno, Sandrina A.; Pires, Tânia C.S.P.; Dias, Maria Inês; Alves, Maria José; Santos, Paulo F.; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R. (2019). Phenolic profile and effects of acetone fractions obtained from the inflorescences of: Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull on vaginal pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Food and Function. ISSN 2042-6496. 10, p. 2399-2407