title: In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts and compounds of some selected medicinal plants from Cameroon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Seven extracts and eight compounds from four selected Cameroonian medicinal plants, Solanecio mannii Hook f. (Asteraceae), Monodora myristica Dunal (Annonaceae), Albizia gummifera (J.F. Gmel) C.A. Smith (Fabaceae/Mimosoideae) and Glyphaea brevis (Spreng) Monachino (Tiliaceae), traditionally used for the treatment of hepatitis, parasites and other infectious diseases, were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (5 species) and Gram-negative (4 species) bacteria species and pathogenic yeasts (2 Candida species), to establish whether or not they have antimicrobial activity and to validate scientifically their use in traditional medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The agar disc diffusion and the microbroth dilution methods were used to determine the zone of inhibition between the edge of the filter paper and the edge of the inhibition area (IZ) and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most active extracts against Candida albicans and Candida krusei were respectively the cyclohexane extract from the fruits of Monodora myristica and the ethyl acetate extract from the stem bark of Albizia gummifera (MIC=6.3 microg/ml for both extracts). The lowest MIC value (1.6 microg/ml) for purified compounds was obtained on Candida albicans with a mixture of linear aliphatic primary alcohols (n-C24H50O to n-C30H62O), with n-hexacosanol (1b) as major compound and mixture of fatty acid esters of diunsaturated linear 1,2-diols (6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results afford ground informations for the potential use of the crude extracts of these species as well as of some of the isolated compounds in bacterial and fungal infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Substances Naturelles et Synthèse Organique, Département de Chimie Organique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Yaoundé I, BP 812 Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Emmanuel Jean Teinkela
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Mbosso
authors.forename: Silvère
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ngouela
authors.forename: Jules Clément Assob
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nguedia
authors.forename: Véronique Penlap
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Beng
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohmer
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsamo
mesh_terms: D031289:Albizzia; D029061:Annonaceae; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002163:Cameroon; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D004304:Dosage Forms; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D029646:Tiliaceae; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004304:Dosage Forms; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; C051942:1-hexacosanol