title: Antimycobacterial, anti-inflammatory and genotoxicity evaluation of plants used for the treatment of tuberculosis and related symptoms in South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis strains and long duration of treatment has established an urgent need to search for new effective agents. The great floral diversity of South Africa has potential for producing new bioactive compounds, therefore pharmacological screening of plant extracts within this region offers much potential. To assess the in vitro antimycobacterial, anti-inflammatory and genotoxicity activity of selected plants that are used for the treatment of TB and related symptoms in South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ground plant materials from 10 plants were extracted sequentially with four solvents (petroleum ether, dichloromethane, 80% ethanol and water) and a total of 68 extracts were produced. A broth microdilution method was used to screen extracts against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts and the Salmonella microsome assay using two Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA98 and TA100) to establish genotoxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six out of 68 extracts showed good antimycobacterial activity. Three extracts showed good inhibition (>70%) of COX-2 enzyme. All the extracts tested were non-genotoxic against the tested Salmonella strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results observed in this study indicate that some of the plants such as Abrus precatorius subsp. africanus, Ficus sur, Pentanisia prunelloides and Terminalia phanerophlebia could be investigated further against drug-resistant TB strains.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madikizela
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ndhlala
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Finnie
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa. Electronic address: rcpgd@ukzn.ac.za.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Staden
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000379:methods; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Ames test: anti-inflammatory; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Pentanisia prunelloides; Terminalia phanerophlebia