Securidaca longipedunculata Fresen (Polygalaceae): A review of its ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and toxicology

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Securidaca longipedunculata Fresen (Polygalaceae) is a multi-purpose plant with a long history of use in African traditional medicine to treat various sexually transmitted infections, hernias, coughs, fever, ascariasis, constipation, headaches, rheumatism, stomach ache, malaria, tuberculosis, pain, epilepsy, pneumonia, skin infections, and it is also used as an aphrodisiac for men. The current paper provides an overview of the present phytochemistry, toxicology, ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological properties of S. longipedunculata. Materials and methods: The information reported in this paper was collected from a literature search using various computerised databases including ScienceDirect, Scopus, Scielo, PubMed and Google Scholar. The extra information was sourced from various academic dissertations, theses and botanical books. Results: Phytochemically, extracts from various parts of S. longipedunculata, especially the root bark, contain numerous valuable compounds including xanthones, some benzyl benzoates and triterpene saponins amongst others. Toxicity studies, both in vivo and in vitro, revealed that extracts are only toxic at relatively high concentrations. Furthermore, extracts have antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, insecticidal, pesticidal, and anticonvulsant properties. Conclusions: S. longipedunculata is an important plant species with potential benefits in the treatment of transmissible and infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, and those caused by community acquired microorganisms. Although extracts from this species generally have little toxicity at low concentrations, further efforts are required to investigate the potential toxicity of S. longipedunculata. The antimicrobial properties of extracts and purified compounds against microorganisms causing sexually transmitted infections is also deserving of further research. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic properties of extracts and compounds of the species need to be explored as there is insufficient data available on these aspects.Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecolog

Novel Mycobacterium avium species isolated from Black Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) in 5 South Africa

A study was undertaken to isolate and characterize Mycobacterium species from black wildebeest suspected of being infected with tuberculosis in South Africa. This led to the discovery of a new Mycobacterium avium species, provisionally referred to as the Gnou isolate from black wildebeest (Connochaetus gnou). Sixteen samples from nine black wildebeest were processed for Mycobacterium isolation. Following decontamination; samples were incubated in an ordinary incubator at 37°C on Löwenstein-Jensen slants and in liquid medium tubes using the BACTECTM MGITTM 960 system respectively. Identification of the isolate was done by standard biochemical tests and using the line probe assay from the GenoType® CM/AS kit (Hain Life Science GmbH, Nehren, Germany). The DNA extract was also analyzed using gene sequencing. Partial gene sequencing and analysis of 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S rRNA (ITS), rpoB and hsp65 and phylogenetic analyses by searching GenBank using the BLAST algorithm were conducted. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using four methods, namely Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and neighbor-joining methods. The isolate was identified as Mycobacterium intracellulare using the GenoType® CM/AS kit and as Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) by gene sequencing. The gene sequence targeting all the genes, ITS, 16S rRNA, rpoB and hsp65 and phylogenetic analyses indicated that this isolate presented a nucleotide sequence different from all currently published sequences, and its position was far enough from other MAC species to suggest that it might be a new species.NRF; Bilateral research collaboration between South Africa and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); UnisaAgriculture and  Animal Healt

Antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity study of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de wit leaf extract constituents

Antioxidant activity of the solvent fractions obtained from a 20% aqueous methanol dried leaf extract of Leucaena leucocephala was evaluated using a 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) TLC assay. The more polar fractions ethyl acetate and butanol fractions demonstrated strong activity. A DPPH activity-guided fractionation procedure was used to isolate the antioxidant constituents of these active fractions. Separate fractionation of the fractions led to the isolation of epicatechin-3-O-gallate (1) along with two quercetin glycosides: quercetin-3-O-arabinofuranoside (2) and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (3) together with apigenin (4). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques NMR (1D and 2D) and mass spectrometry. Compounds 1 and 4 are reported for the first time from this species. In the qualitative antioxidant TLC assay, isolated compounds instantly bleached the DPPH (0.2% in MeOH) purple colour indicating strong antioxidant activity. The antioxidant quercetin glycosides were not cytotoxic at the highest concentration tested (200 ìg/ml), and apigenin was not isolated in sufficient quantity to test for cytotoxicity. Epicatechin-3-O-gallate showed slight cytotoxicity against Vero cells (LC50 = 92 μg/ml).Keywords: Leucaena leucocephala, Fabaceae, antioxidant, DPPH, cytotoxicity.

Is the use of <i>Gunnera perpensa</i> extracts in endometritis related to antibacterial activ

Rhizome extracts of Gunnera perpensa are used in traditional remedies in South Africa to treat endometritis both in humans and animals. An investigation was undertaken to determine whether this plant possesses antibacterial activity, which may explain its efficacy. Gunnera perpensa rhizome extracts were prepared serially with solvents of increasing polarity and tested for antibacterial activity. Test bacteria included the Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A moderate to weak level of antibacterial activity in most of the extracts resulted, with the best minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 2.61 mg ml-1 shown by the acetone extract against S. aureus. The extracts were also submitted to the brine shrimp assay to detect possible toxic or pharmacological effects. All the extracts were lethal to the brine shrimp larvae at a concentration of 5 mg ml-1. The acetone extract was extremely toxic at 1 mg ml-1, with some toxicity evident at 0.1 mg ml-1. The remainder of the extracts generally displayed little activity at concentrations lower than 5 mg ml-1. In summary, the results indicate that although the extracts demonstrated a level of pharmacological activity, the relatively weak antibacterial activity is unlikely to justify the use of G. perpensa rhizomes in the traditional treatment of endometritis. Rather, the slightly antibacterial nature of the rhizomes may contribute to an additive effect, along with their known uterotonic activity, to the overall efficacy of the preparation

Antibacterial effects of fatty acids and related compounds from plants

Fatty acids are important constituents of plants and are commonly known to possess antimicrobial activities. The structure-activity relationship of fatty acids, including the effects of hydrocarbon chain length, unsaturation and presence of functional groups, is reviewed. The biological activity of fatty acids is significant as they are often isolated following bioassay-guided fractionation of plant extracts. The possibility of the therapeutic use of fatty acids as antimicrobial agents is worthy of note

Combretum microphyllum and Leucospermum erubescens inhibit the genotoxic effects of 4-NQO, MMC and EMS in vitro

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