Antimycobacterial Activity and Low Cytotoxicity of Leaf Extracts of Some African Anacardiaceae Tree Species.
Treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is a challenge because of multidrug-resistant and extremely drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Plant species contain antimicrobial compounds that may lead to new anti-TB drugs. Previous screening of some tree species from the Anacardiaceae family revealed the presence of antimicrobial activity, justifying further investigations. Leaf extracts of 15 Anacardiaceae tree species were screened for antimycobacterial activity using a twofold serial microdilution assay against the pathogenic Mycobacterium bovis and multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis and rapidly growing mycobacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium aurum. The vaccine strain, M. bovis and an avirulent strain, H37Ra M. tuberculosis, were also used. Cytotoxicity was assessed using a colorimetric assay against Vero kidney, human hepatoma and murine macrophage cells. Four out of 15 crude acetone extracts showed significant antimycobacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration varying from 50 to 100 µg/mL. Searsia undulata had the highest activity against most mycobacteria, followed by Protorhus longifolia. M. fortuitum was the strongest predictor of activity against multidrug-resistant TB (correlation coefficient = 0.65). Bioautography against M. aurum and M. fortuitum worked well as indicators of the Rf values of active compounds yielding strong zones of inhibition. The leaf extracts of S. undulata and P. longifolia had more than ten different antimycobacterial compounds and had low cytotoxicity with LC50values above 100 µg/mL. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X 6, Florida, 1710, South Africa.|Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Prudence N
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3894-9014
PN
Kabongo-Kayoka
Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Jacobus N
JN
Eloff
Division of Academic Affairs, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, South Africa.
Chikwelu L
CL
Obi
Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Lyndy J
LJ
McGaw
D027926:Anacardiaceae; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts
Anacardiaceae; MDR-M. tuberculosis; antimycobacterial; cytotoxicity; selectivity