Evaluation of anti-microbial potential of 3-ethenylcoumarins and their precursors

Abstract

Coumarins, classified as benzo-α-pyrones, are part of a large class of secondary phenolic metabolites derivatived from cinnamic acid, widely distributed in the plant kingdom but can also be found in fungi and bacteria. Today there are more than 1300 identified structures. In some plants they are mainly accumulated in the leaves, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungi and repelles insects. Coumarins are nowadays very important organic compounds due to their wide applicability resulting from their characteristic smell, therapeutic and biological activity.The changes in coumarin structure can provide new classes of compounds. The importance of the biological activity studies of these new compounds can be justified by what is observed in nature, a variety of biological activities in plants and animals, low toxicity and their presence in our diet (fruits and vegetables) as well as in some drugs. In this contest, eight coumarins were tested. The anti-microbial properties of these coumarins were evaluated. In a first approach four filamentous fungi (Fusarium oxysporium (CCMI866), Aspergillus niger (CCMI296), Cladosporium 7F1, Trichoderma sp (CCMI783)) was tested to access the antimicrobial spectrum of active compounds.