Chemical Composition and Antifungal <i>In Vitro</i> and <i>In Silico</i>, Antioxidant, and Anticholinesterase Activities of Extracts and Constituents of <i>Ouratea fieldingiana</i> (DC.) Baill

Abstract

<i>Ouratea fieldingiana</i> (Gardner) Engl is popularly used for wound healing. This study describes the main chemical compounds present in extracts of <i>O. fieldingiana</i> and evaluates their biological potential by investigating antifungal, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase activities. The action mechanism of main antifungal compound was investigated by molecular docking using the enzyme sterol 14-<i>α</i> demethylase, CYP51, required for ergosterol biosynthesis. The seeds and leaves were extracted with ethanol in a Soxhlet apparatus and by maceration, respectively. Both extracts were subjected to silica gel column chromatography for isolation of main constituents, followed by purification in sephadex. The structures of compounds were established by ¹H and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and identified by comparison with literature data as amentoflavone and kaempferol 3-<i>O</i>-rutinoside, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the extracts were determined by the DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition methods. In general, the extracts with the highest antioxidant activity corresponded to those with higher content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The ethanol extracts and two isolated compounds presented relevant antifungal activity against several <i>Candida</i> strains. The <i>in silico</i> findings revealed that the compound amentoflavone coupled with the CYP450 protein due to the low energy stabilization (-9.39 kcal/mol), indicating a possible mechanism of action by inhibition of the ergosterol biosynthesis of <i>Candida</i> fungi.