title: Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of Funtumia elastica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Funtumia elastica (Preuss) Stapf. (Apocynaceae) has a long ethnopharmacological history for uses such as treatment of whooping cough, asthma, blennorhea, painful menstruation, fungal infections, and wounds.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of ethanol extracts from the leaves and stem bark of Funtumia elastica based on its ethnopharmacological uses and also determine the secondary metabolites present in the extracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antimicrobial activities of ethanol leaf and bark extracts of F. elastica were determined using the microdilution technique (MIC determination) and agar diffusion method using 10, 25, and 50 mg/mL concentrations against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger as test organisms. Anti-inflammatory activities of the doses of extracts at 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg per body weight were determined by carrageenan-induced edema in the footpad of 7-day-old chicks and the foot volumes measured at hourly interval post-treatment for 5 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MIC ranges of both ethanol leaf and bark extracts against the test organisms were 125 (lowest MIC) to 1550 µg/mL (highest MIC) and 125 (lowest MIC) to 1750 µg/mL (highest MIC), respectively. The ethanol leaf and bark extract of F. elastica showed significant anti-inflammatory activity (p ≤ 0.001) at 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that F. elastica bark contains hydrolysable tannins, sapogenetic glycosides, steroids and saponins while the leaves contain hydrolysable tannins, flavonoids, starch and alkaloids. Tannin contents of the leaf and stem bark were 2.4 and 1.3% w/w (related to the dried material), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both ethanol leaf and bark extracts of F. elastica showed antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and these pharmacological properties may be responsible for the ethnomedicinal uses of the leaves and stem bark of the plant.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. cagyare.pharm@knust.edu.gh
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Agyare
authors: George Asumeng
authors: GA
authors: Koffuor
authors: Yaw Duah
authors: YD
authors: Boakye
authors: Kwesi Boadu
authors: KB
authors: Mensah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029062:Apocynaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D002351:Carrageenan; D002645:Chickens; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol; D002351:Carrageenan