Coprinopsis atramentaria extract, organic acids and synthesized methylated derivatives as antibacterial and antifungal agents
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
Mushrooms have been studied for their antimicrobial activity and revealed promising results against
pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Coprinopsis atramentaria (Bull.: Fr.) Redhead, Vilgalys&Moncalvo, is a wild
edible mushroom previously characterized by us for its nutritional composition, and the methanolic extract
showed antioxidant and antitumor activities p-Hydroxybenzoic(HA) (4.71 mg/100 g dry weight), p-coumaric
(CoA) (0.82 mg/100 g) and cinnamic (CA) (1.70 mg/100 g) acids were identified in the mentioned extract.
Methylated derivatives of these identified organic acids were synthesized in order to obtain a complete
series of methylated derivatives of each organic acid. The antimicrobial and demelanizing activities of C.
atramentaria extract, identified organic acids and synthesized methylated derivatives were evaluated and
compared. The antifungal activity was stronger than the antibacterial effects. The individual compounds
(mostly organic acids) gave higher activity than the extract and even higher than the standards used in the
assays. Methylated derivatives presented the highest demelanizing activity towards Aspergillus niger, A.
fumigatus and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. The inclusion of methyl groups in the parental
compound CoA strongly increased its antibacterial and antifungal activities, while in the case of HA and
CAthe inclusion of methyl groups increased the demelanizing activity, but decreased the antimicrobial
properties. The present work contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial
properties of organic acids usually present in mushrooms and that suffer metabolism, namely methylation
reactions. Organic acids and methylated derivatives could be used as antimicrobial agents.
