Phytochemical and biological study of phenolic fraction from Geoffroea decorticans bark

Abstract

The stem bark of Geoffroea decorticans (Gill.ex Hook. et Arn.) Burk. (Fabaceae) was used medicinally to cure several skin affections; however, previous phytochemical and biological antecedents that supported its vulnerary property were not found yet. A purified methanolic fraction from G. decorticans bark (PFGB), was derivatized by silylation for GC/MS analysis, and complementary analyses by two-dimensional TLC and UV-Vis spectroscopy against detected standards compounds. Nine phenolic compounds were characterized as gallic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, protocatechuic acid, taxifolin, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid; among these two methoxy-flavonoids. PFGB showed significant antibacterial activity (MICs = 125 μg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus (25923) and Enterococcus faecalis (29212) ATCC strains. Cytotoxic effects on human lymphocytes activated or not by LPS were not observed up to 100 μg/mL, by MTT colorimetric assay. The results obtained through the ethnopharmacological approach of this work contribute to the scientific validation of the vulnerary medicinal use of G. decorticans.