title: Cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of selected Cameroonian edible plants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Cameroon, the use of edible plants is an integral part of dietary behavior. However, evidence of the antimicrobial as well as the cytotoxic effects of many of them has not been investigated. In the present study, aqueous and methanol extracts from barks, seeds, leaves and roots of three Cameroonian edible plants namely Garcina lucida, Fagara heitzii and Hymenocardia lyrata were evaluated for their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antibacterial and antifungal activities were assessed by the broth micro-dilution method meanwhile the cytotoxicity was performed using sulphorhodamine B assay (SRB) against the human leukemia THP-1, the alveolar epithelial A549, prostate cancer PC-3, breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and cervical cancer HeLa cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the seven tested extracts ranged from 62.5 μg/ml to 1000 μg/ml. The methanol (MeOH) extract from the roots of H. lyrata showed the highest antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and S. epidermitis. The best antifungal activity was obtained with the MeOH extract from the leaves of G. lucida against C. tropicalis (MIC value of 62.5 μg/ml). The in vitro antiproliferative activity revealed that, extract from the bark of F. heitzii and extract from H. lyrata roots had significant cytotoxic activity on THP-1 (IC50 8.4 μg/ml) and PC-3 (IC50 9.5 μg/ml) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that Cameroonian spices herein studied could be potentially useful for the development of therapeutic agents against bacterial infections as well as for prostate and leukemia cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon. jpdzoyem@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Jean Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dzoyem
authors.forename: Santosh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Guru
authors.forename: Constant Anatole
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pieme
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kuete
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Inshad Ali
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ajit Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: Ram Anuj
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vishwakarma
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002163:Cameroon; D002460:Cell Line; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000737:chemistry*; D017365:Spices / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D003603:Cytotoxins; D010936:Plant Extracts
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