Determination of the antioxidant and antifungal activities of twelve plants belonging to the Colombian coffee region

The aims of this study were determinate the antioxidant and antifungal activities of twelve plants belonging to the Colombian Coffee Region (CCR). A phytochemical characterization was performed to the hexane, dichloromethane and hexane-isopropanol (3:1) extracts. Also the antioxidant activities through Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS•+) methods were assayed; In addiction, the total phenolic content and the activities against the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani and Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet were also evaluated. In this study 10 hexane-isopropanol (3:1) and 6 dichloromethane extracts as well as 1 hexane extract displayed antioxidant capacity superior to 25% through the DPPH•assay, standing out the hexane extract of Piper umbellatum (Piperaceae) with an activity of 44.8%. The extracts that showed the most important antifungal activities were the hexane-isopropanol (3:1) extract of Mikania lloensis (Asteracea) that inhibited 44.8% the growth of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and the hexane extract of Piper pessaresanum (Piperaceae) that showed 59% of growth inhibition against Fusarium solani. Further more the Piper pessaresanum dichloromethane and hexaneisopropanol (3:1) extracts and the dichloromethane extract of Alchornea coelophylla (Euphorbiaceae) gave 100% of inhibition against the fungi Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet. This study is a contribution to the bioprospecting to the Colombian flora