title: Pharmacological and phytochemical screening of two Hyacinthaceae species: Scilla natalensis and Ledebouria ovatifolia.
abstract: Aqueous, ethanolic, dichloromethane and n-hexane extracts of Scilla natalensis Planch. and Ledebouria ovatifolia (Bak.) Jessop bulbs (Hyacinthaceae) were screened for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antischistosomic, anticancer and anthelmintic activity. Poor antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was shown with S. natalensis extracts. Good antibacterial activity was shown by the ethanolic and dichloromethane extracts of L. ovatifolia against Gram-positive bacteria. In the anti-inflammatory screening, the dichloromethane and hexane extracts of S. natalensis resulted in good inhibition against both COX-1 and COX-2. Ethanolic extracts had the highest inhibitory effect against nematodes in the anthelmintic assays. Poor anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic activity was found with L. ovatifolia. Aqueous extracts of S. natalensis had good activity against Schistosoma haematobium, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.4 mg ml(-1). Aqueous extracts of fresh L. ovatifolia bulb material were found to be lethal to S. haematobium at a concentration of 1.6 mg ml(-1). The phytochemical screening of S. natalensis bulbs revealed the presence of saponins and bufadienolides within the bulbs. Bulbs of L. ovatifolia contained bufadienolides.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Botany and Zoology, University of Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, 3209, Scottsville, South Africa.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Sparg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Staden
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jäger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006376:Helminths / Q000187:drug effects*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases