title: Biological activities of an extract from Cleome viscosa L. (Capparaceae).
abstract: Electron micrograph examination of the leaf and stem surfaces of Cleome viscosa L (Family Capparaceae) revealed the presence of secretory glandular trichomes with club-cylinder and cylinder morphologies. In the present study, the leaves and stems of C. viscosa were extracted with hexane and the extract was evaluated for the following biological activities: anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, contact insecticidal and nematicidal. The extract was found to be a potent anti-bacterial agent according to the thin layer chromatography autobiographic assay. Activity-directed isolation studies of the anti-bacterially active compounds led to a 14-member ring cembranoid diterpene being identified as one of the effective agents. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (microg/spot) of 5.0 microg/spot and 1.0 microg/spot were found for the diterpene on Bacillus subtilis (Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (Gram-negative), respectively. The diterpene did not inhibit the growth of the fungus Cladosporium cucumerinum. The extract demonstrated a pyrethroid type of contact insecticidal activity on adult Cylas formicarius elegantulus Summer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The extract also had high nematicidal activity with a percentage Abbott's value of 72.69 on the plant parasitic nematode Meloidogyne incognita Chitwood; however, the extract lost its potency upon subfractionation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bio-organic Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 30, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany. ladwill@uni-hohenheim.de
authors.forename: L A D
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasques
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D031485:Cleome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D007306:Insecticides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014431:Tylenchoidea / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D010936:Plant Extracts