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Activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. tuberculosis by extract of South African medicinal plants
Author(s) -
Mativandlela Sannah Patience Nkami,
Meyer Jacob Jacobus Marion,
Hussein Ahmed A.,
Houghton Peter J.,
Hamilton Chris J.,
Lall Namrita
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.2378
Subject(s) - antimycobacterial , mycobacterium smegmatis , traditional medicine , minimum inhibitory concentration , minimum bactericidal concentration , mycobacterium tuberculosis , biology , pharmacognosy , medicinal plants , antimicrobial , microbiology and biotechnology , tuberculosis , chemistry , biological activity , medicine , in vitro , biochemistry , pathology
Seven ethnobotanically selected medicinal plants were screened for their antimycobacterial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of four plants namely Artemisia afra , Dodonea angustifolia , Drosera capensis and Galenia africana ranged from 0.781 to 6.25 mg/mL against Mycobacterium smegmatis. G. africana showed the best activity exhibiting an MIC of 0.78 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 1.56 mg/mL. The MICs of ethanol extracts of D. angustifolia and G. africana against M. tuberculosis were found to be 5.0 and 1.2 mg/mL respectively. The mammalian cytotoxicity IC 50 value of the most active antimycobacterial extract, from G. africana , was found to be 101.3 µg/mL against monkey kidney Vero cells. Since the ethanol G. africana displayed the best antimycobacterial activity, it was subjected to fractionation which led to the isolation of a flavone, 5,7,2′‐trihydroxyflavone. The MIC of this compound was found to be 0.031 mg/mL against M. smegmatis and 0.10 mg/mL against M. tuberculosis . This study gives some scientific basis to the traditional use of these plants for TB‐related symptoms. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.