Antibacterial and cytotoxic potential of Amburana cearensis L. bark

Amburana cearensis is widely used in traditional medicine and has drawn scientific interest for its antimicrobial potential, especially amid rising bacterial resistance. Assessing the cytotoxicity of natural extracts is essential to establish safe and effective therapeutic concentrations. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and cytotoxic potentials of the ethanolic extract obtained from the bark of A. cearensis. The extract was characterized phytochemically using qualitative reactions and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity was determined using the MIC, the well diffusion method and in silico prediction. The cytotoxic potential was evaluated in a eukaryotic cell model using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ethanolic extract of A. cearensis had a yield of 2.2%. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, condensed tannins, coumarins and alkaloids. In the antimicrobial tests, the extract was active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, with a MIC of 1.875 mg/mL, while for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 e ATCC 6538 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 the MIC was over 15 mg/mL. In the in silico analysis, coumarin showed a binding affinity of -5.5 kcal/mol, establishing relevant interactions with residues adjacent to the catalytic site of the NDM-1 enzyme, suggesting a potential inhibitory effect. In the cytotoxicity assessment, no significant toxicity was observed up to 30 minutes, however, from 60 minutes onwards, there was an increase in cell mortality and flocculation formation, indicating time-dependent cell stress. These results reinforce the potential of Amburana cearensis as a source of bioactive compounds with promising therapeutic and biotechnological applications.