Antibacterial and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Flavonoids and Triterpenes Isolated from The Extracts of Ficus Sansibarica Warb. Subsp. Sansibarica (Moraceae) Extracts

Background: Ficus species are used in African traditional medicine in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and diseases such as convulsive disorder, wound healing, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, diabetes, diarrhoeal infections, dysentery, malaria and HIV. The aim of this study was to isolate the phytochemical constituents in the plant and test them for their antibacterial activity.Materials and methods: The fruits, leaves and stem bark were extracted with organic solvents and the compounds in the extracts separated and purified by column chromatography before being identified by NMR spectroscopy and by comparison of the NMR data against values reported in the literature. The antibacterial activity of the pure compounds and extracts were tested using the disk diffusion method.Results: Three triterpenes and three flavonoids: lupeol acetate (1); cycloart-23-ene-3,25-diol (2); β-sitosterol (3); 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavan-3-ol (4); epicatechin (5); and isovitexin (6) were isolated in this study. Antimicrobial activity was observed at 8 mg mL-1 for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 with four of the six isolated compounds, with no activity being observed at 1 – 4 mg mL-1 against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, E. coli ATCC 35218 and S. aureus ATCC 43300. Epicatechin (5) was found to decrease adhesion of E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 29213. Decreased adhesion of S. aureus ATCC 29213 was also observed with 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavan-3-ol (4) and isovitexin (6).Conclusions: The results of this study provide baseline information on F. sansibarica’s potential validity in the treatment of infections associated with Gram-positive microorganisms.Key words: Moraceae, Ficus sansibarica, antimicrobial, anti-adhesion properties, flavonoids, triterpenoids

MOSQUITO LARVICIDAL PROPERTIES OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF SENNA DIDYMOBOTRYA

Larvicidal properties of aqueous extracts of the leaves tem and root barks of Senna didymobotrya (Fabaceae) were evaluated against the malaria vector (Anopheles fluviatilis) under physiological conditions. Larvicidal assays showed that early larval stages were more prone to the lethal effects of the plant extracts, and that the root barks extract possessed the strongest larvicidal activity. Larvicidal effects were obtained after 3 hours of incubation of the larvae in 1,0.1, or 0.01% w/v solutions of the aqueous extracts. It was concluded that S. didymoborya is a potential mosquito larvicide. Key Words: Senna didymobotrya; Fabaceae, Aqueous extracts; mosquito larvae; Larvicidal property; Anopheles fluviatilis Nig. J. Nat Prod. And Med. Vol.4 2000: 46-4

Eniotorin, An Anti-Malarial Coumarin From The Root Bark Of Quassia undulate

The chloroform soluble portion of methanolic extract of the root bark of Quassia undulata Simaroubaceae, gave four compounds: scopoletin 1, glaucarubinone 2, 15-desacetylundulatone 3 and a new coumarin, eniotorin 4. The structures were determined by analysis of the spectroscopic data. The aqueous extract and the isolated compounds exhibited dose-related effect against the P. falciparum malaria parasite in an in-vitro antimalarial assay. Key words: Eniotorin, Quassia undulata, Simaroubaceae, anti-malaria, simaroubaceae. Nig. J. Nat. Prod. and Med. Vol.8 2004: 69-7