Antifungal activity of drimane sesquiterpenes from Drimys brasiliensis using bioassay-guided fractionation.

PURPOSE This study describes the antifungal effect of extracts and compounds isolated from Drimys brasiliensis acting against dermatophytes. METHODS The activities were evaluated by using the microbroth dilution method. RESULTS Bioassay-guided fractionation of the most active extract from the bark (CHCl3) led to the isolation of the sesquiterpene drimanes polygodial, 1-beta-(p-methoxycinnamoyl)-polygodial, drimanial and 1-beta-(p-cumaroyloxy)-polygodial, which were selectively active against Epidermophyton floccosum and Tricophyton rubrum. CONCLUSIONS The selective antifungal activity reported in this paper for drimanes isolated from D. brasiliensis opens the possibility that they could be helpful for the developing of new antifungal agents for treating the difficult to eradicate dermatomycoses produced by E. floccosum.