Preliminary screening of some traditional zulu medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities.
Aqueous and methanolic extracts from different parts of nine traditional Zulu medicinal plants, of the Vitaceae from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were evaluated for therapeutic potential as anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. Of the twenty-nine crude extracts assayed for prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, only five methanolic extracts of Cyphostemma natalitium-root, Rhoicissus digitata-leaf, R. rhomboidea-root, R. tomentosa-leaf/stem and R. tridentata-root showed significant inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase (COX-1). The extracts of R. digitata-leaf and of R. rhomboidea-root exhibited the highest inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with 53 and 56%, respectively. The results suggest that Rhoicissus digitata leaves and of Rhoicissus rhomboidea roots may have the potential to be used as anti-inflammatory agents. All the screened plant extracts showed some degrees of anti-microbial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. The methanolic extracts of C. natalitium-stem and root, R. rhomboidea-root, and R. tomentosa-leaf/stem, showed different anti-microbial activities against almost all micro-organisms tested. Generally, these plant extracts inhibited the gram-positive micro-organisms more than the gram-negative ones. Several plant extracts inhibited the growth of Candida albicans while only one plant extract showed inhibitory activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All the plant extracts which demonstrated good anti-inflammatory activities also showed better inhibitory activity against Candida albicans.
Lin
J
J
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa. jlin@pan.uzulu.ac.za
Opoku
A R
AR
Geheeb-Keller
M
M
Hutchings
A D
AD
Terblanche
S E
SE
Jäger
A K
AK
van Staden
J
J
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D012995:Solubility; D013019:South Africa
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011453:Prostaglandins