title: In vitro cytotoxic, antileishmanial and antifungal activities of ethnopharmacologically selected Gabonese plants.
abstract: Seventy-seven crude extracts from leaves and stem barks of 15 Gabonese plants used in traditional medicine were evaluated for their cytotoxic, antileishmanial and antifungal activities. Most of the extracts exhibited cytotoxic activities toward human monocytes, and most particularly the hydromethanolic 50% (v/v) fraction of Ganophyllum giganteum leaves (IC(50)=1.3 microg/ml) as well as the methanolic extracts of Polyalthia suaveolens, Dioscorea preussii, Augouardia letestui leaves and Cola lizae stem barks (IC(50)<5 microg/ml). The methanolic extract of Polyalthia suaveolens displayed a strong antiproliferative activity against the promastigote form of Leishmania infantum parasites and presented a good antifungal activity on all the tested strains (IC(50)<1mg/ml). This extract was divided into six fractions: fraction F6 demonstrated a cytotoxic activity stronger than those of the crude extract (IC(50)=0.6 microg/ml), fractions F4 and F5 were devoid of cytotoxicity (IC(50)>100 microg/ml) and displayed interesting antileishmanial activity against the intracellular amastigote form of the parasite (IC(50)=5.6 and 12.4 microg/ml), respectively. However, the antifungal activity observed for the crude extract could not be recovered in the corresponding fractions.
authors.affiliation: IPHAMETRA (Institute of Traditional Pharmacopoeia and Medicine), CENAREST, BP 842 Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamidi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DiGiorgio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delmas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eyele Mve-Mba
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rondi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ollivier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nze-Ekekang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balansard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D031044:Polyalthia
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts