In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts and compounds of some selected medicinal plants from Cameroon.
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.
Mbosso
Emmanuel Jean Teinkela
EJ
Laboratoire de Substances Naturelles et Synthèse Organique, Département de Chimie Organique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Yaoundé I, BP 812 Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Ngouela
Silvère
S
Nguedia
Jules Clément Assob
JC
Beng
Véronique Penlap
VP
Rohmer
Michel
M
Tsamo
Etienne
E
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*
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004304:Dosage Forms; D005233:Fatty Alcohols; C051942:1-hexacosanol