Two antifungal components isolated from fructus psoraleae and folium eucalypti globuli by bioassay-guided purification

Abstract

Fructus Psoraleae and Folium Eucalypti Globuli have long been used as Chinese medicines to treat various ailments such as asthma, eczema and dermatomycosis. In previous studies, their antifungal activities were demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to isolate active antidermatophytic compounds from their ethanolic extracts by means of bioassay-guided purification. Guided by the inhibitory activities on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum and Paecilomyces variotii, bakuchiol was isolated from the n-hexane fraction of Fructus Psoraleae whilst macrocarpal C was isolated from the n-hexane fraction of Folium Eucalypti Globuli. Both pure compounds could effectively inhibit the growth of dermatophytes in vitro. This is the first paper to report the isolation and identification of active antidermatophytic compounds from Fructus Psoraleae and Folium Eucalypti Globuli by the bioassay-guided purification. © 2010 World Scientific Publishing Company & Institute for Advanced Research in Asian Science and Medicine.