Research Article Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Potential of Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan Rennaly de Freitas Lima, 1 Érika Ponchet Alves, 1 Pedro Luiz Rosalen, 2 Ana Lúcia Tasca Gois Ruiz, 3 Marta Cristina Teixeira Duarte, 3 Vivian Fernandes Furletti Góes, 3 Ana Cláudia Dantas de Medeiros, 1 Jozinete Vieira Pereira, 1 Gustavo Pina Godoy, 1 and Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa 1 1 Department of Dentistry, Para´ ıba State University (UEPB), 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil 2 Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology, Piracicaba School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), 13414-903 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil 3 Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6171, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Edja Maria Melo de Brito Costa; edjacosta@gmail.com Received 24 March 2014; Revised 1 June 2014; Accepted 11 June 2014; Published 30 June 2014 Academic Editor: Wagner Vilegas Copyright © 2014 Rennaly de Freitas Lima et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Te aim of the present study was to perform an in vitro analysis of the antimicrobial and antiproliferative potential of an extract from Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (angico) and chemically characterize the crude extract. Antimicrobial action was evaluated based on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration, and the inhibition of formation to oral bioflm. Cell morphology was determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Six strains of tumor cells were used for the determination of antiproliferative potential. Te extract demonstrated strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 18804 (MIC = 0.031 mg/mL), with similar activity found regarding the ethyl acetate fraction. Te extract and active fraction also demonstrated the capacity to inhibit the formation of Candida albicans to oral bioflm afer 48 hours, with median values equal to or greater than the control group, but the diference did not achieve statistical signifcance ( > 0.05). SEM revealed alterations in the cell morphology of the yeast. Regarding antiproliferative activity, the extract demonstrated cytostatic potential in all strains tested. Te present fndings suggest strong antifungal potential for Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan as well as a tendency toward diminishing the growth of human tumor cells. 1. Introduction Te high prevalence rates of adverse oral conditions and the limitations of available treatment methods have led to increasing interest among the scientifc community in alter- native therapies [1]. Tis interest has fueled research into natural compounds with adequate efectiveness and fewer adverse efects in the control of oral bioflm, which is responsible for the development of conditions such as tooth decay and candidiasis [2]. Bacterial and fungal infections pose a challenge to researchers and clinicians, especially in immunocompro- mised patients. Tis situation is further complicated by the development of resistance to conventional medications on the part of a large number of microorganisms. Terefore, studies are needed for the discovery of safe, stable drugs from sources found in nature that are efective against resistant bacteria and fungi [3]. Such drugs could also beneft a greater number of individuals due to the low cost and greater availability [4]. Medicinal plants have become an important source for the discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Raw extracts from plants and isolated substances in these extracts have demonstrated activity against a number of pathogens [5]. It is also important to determine the potential of natural products with biological activity regarding possible harm to normal cells as well as damage to tumor cells to establish possible therapeutic uses [6]. Hindawi Publishing Corporation Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2014, Article ID 802696, 7 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/802696