Crude extracts from 17 plant species collected from an Atlantic Forest region in the State of São Paulo (Brazil) have been screened for antifungal, DNA-damaging and acetylcholinesterase inhibiting activities. Of the 34 extracts obtained from leaves and stems of plants assayed for antifungal activity with Cladosporium sphaerospermum and C. cladosporioides 26.5% were active. However, only the extract of leaves of Cabralea canjerana showed a strong inhibition of both fungi. The DNA-damaging assay with mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in 11.7 % of the extracts being active whereas 100% of them showed selectivity for the DNA-repair mechanism of topoisomerase II. Of the 17 species analysed, 12 showed anticholinesterasic activity in TLC assay. However, only extracts from Tetrastylidium grandifolium (stems) and Sloanea guianensis (leaves and stems) inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity more than 50% in quantitative assay.
Atlantic Rainforest; antifungal activity; acetylcholinesterase inhibitors; plant screening
