title: Anti-leptospiral activities of an endemic plant Glyptopetalum calocarpum (Kurz.) Prain used as a medicinal plant by Nicobarese of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
abstract: Leaves of an endemic plant Glyptopetalum calocarpum are used by Nicobarese tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, to prepare traditional medicine for treating fever. In the present investigation, pharmacologically active compounds were isolated from this plant and their antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated against the leptospiral strains. The anti-leptospiral activity of six plant-derived compounds was determined by both microdilution and macrodilution methods. Two out of six compounds, namely lupenone and stigmasterol, showed anti-leptospiral activity. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the two compounds tested against pathogenic leptospiral strains belonging to 10 serovars were in the range of 100-200 μg/mL. The range of minimum bactericidal concentrations was 400-800 μg/mL. Compounds lupenone, stigmasterol, lupeol, β-amyrin and β-amyrin acetate had negligible or no haemolytic activity, exhibiting IC50 values of greater than 5 mg/mL. Further in vivo studies are needed to investigate the pharmacological and toxicological properties of G. calocarpum before it can be considered as a new anti-leptospiral agent.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Microbiology & Molecular Biology , Regional Medical Research Centre (Indian Council of Medical Research), WHO Collaborating Centre for Diagnosis, Reference, Research and Training in Leptospirosis , Post Bag No. 13, Dollygunj, Port Blair 744101 , Andaman and Nicobar Islands , India.
authors.forename: M Punnam
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Chander
authors.forename: K Vinod
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Shriram
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vijayachari
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029753:Celastraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D007194:India; D007919:Leptospira / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013265:Stigmasterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000094042:Lupanes
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013265:Stigmasterol; D014315:Triterpenes; C470592:lupenone; D000094042:Lupanes
keywords: G. calocarpum; Lupenone; Stigmasterol; anti-leptospiral activity