Avaliação do potencial antimicrobiano de compostos naturais obtidos de plantas da flora brasileira para tratamento e prevenção de cáries.

The main bacteria for the initial formation of dental plaque are of the genus Streptococcus and the Streptococcus mutans species is the main etiological agent of caries. The antimicrobial agent most commonly used to combat these conditions is chlorhexidine digluconate, but it has adverse effects that restrict its prolonged use. Thus, the search for alternative antimicrobial drugs with lower side effects is increasing. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the benzophenones from Garcinia braziliensis Guttiferone-A, 7-epiclusianone, 2,2',4-trihydroxybenzophenone, and the diterpenoic acids copalic, 3-acetoxy-copalic and 3-hydroxycopalic, from Copaifera sp., as well as their associations against oral bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the compounds was determined by the microdilution broth in microplates, followed by the addition of resazurin and a simplified test of the interaction of the compounds by microdilution. As a result, the main antimicrobial compounds, against S. mutans, were copalic acid and 7- epiclusianone isolated (MICs between 62.5μg/mL and 30.45μg/mL, respectively) and in combination, where they had an additive effect, reducing their active concentrations in combination to 32.25μg/mL and 15.22μg/mL, respectively. Thus, it is concluded that the combination between copalic acid and 7-epiclusianone presents as promising for the construction of pharmaceutical formulations to combat dental plaque and caries.