title: Antimycobacterial activity of methanolic plant extract of Artemisia capillaris containing ursolic acid and hydroquinone against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to protect against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection, novel drugs and new targets should be screened from the vast source of plants. We investigated the potentiality of the herbal plant of Artemisia capillaris extract (AC) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we isolated ursolic acid and hydroquinone by bio-activity guided fractionation from the methanol extracts of AC, and tested the inhibitory effects against several strains of MTB. Anti-mycobacterial evaluation of these compounds was carried out using the MGIT™ 960 and resazurin assay. Mycobacterial morphological changes due to the treatment of these compounds were further evaluated by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ursolic acid (UA) and hydroquinone (HQ) inhibited the growth of both susceptible and resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values of both UA and HQ were 12.5 μg/ml against the susceptible strains of M. tuberculosis. Also both UA and HQ showed 12.5-25 μg/ml of MIC values against MDR/XDR MTB strains. However, against clinical strains of MTB, UA was found sensitive against those strains that are sensitive against both INH and RFP but resistant against those strains that are resistant to INH. On the other hand HQ was sensitive against all clinical strains. TEM image-analysis of the strain H37Ra after treatment with UA revealed cell wall lysis, whereas HQ-treated cells showed deformed cytoplasmic morphology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All these results indicate that AC extracts containing UA and HQ possess promising chemotherapeutic potency against MTB for future use.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soonchunhyang University, 8 Soonchuhyang 2-gil, Cheonan si 330-721, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchangmyeon, Asan si, Chungcheonam 336-745, Republic of Korea.
authors: Md Anirban
authors: MA
authors: Jyoti
authors: Department of Chemistry, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchangmyeon, Asan si, Chungcheonam 336-745, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kung-Woo
authors: KW
authors: Nam
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soonchunhyang University, 8 Soonchuhyang 2-gil, Cheonan si 330-721, Republic of Korea.
authors: Woong Sik
authors: WS
authors: Jang
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soonchunhyang University, 8 Soonchuhyang 2-gil, Cheonan si 330-721, Republic of Korea.
authors: Young-Hee
authors: YH
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soonchunhyang University, 8 Soonchuhyang 2-gil, Cheonan si 330-721, Republic of Korea.
authors: Su-Kyung
authors: SK
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchangmyeon, Asan si, Chungcheonam 336-745, Republic of Korea.
authors: Byung-Eui
authors: BE
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Soonchunhyang University, 8 Soonchuhyang 2-gil, Cheonan si 330-721, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: songmic@sch.ac.kr.
authors: Ho-Yeon
authors: HY
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D006873:Hydroquinones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid; C031927:hydroquinone
keywords: Artemisia capillaris; Hydroquinone; MDR; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Ursolic acid; XDR