Advancement in Medicinal Plant Research

29-32

Authors: Emtinan A. Alhadi, Hassan S. Khalid, Muddathir S. Alhassan, Afra A. Ali, Salwa G. Babiker, Eman M. Zain Alabdeen and Ahmed S. Kabbashi

Cordia africana Lam. (family- Boraginaceae) is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, 4 to 15 (30) m high, heavily branched with a spreading, umbrella-shaped or rounded crown. Bole typically curved or crooked. Bark grayish-brown to dark brown, smooth in young trees, but soon becoming rough and longitudinally fissured with age; young branchlets with sparse long. Uses of C. africana: firewood, timber (furniture, beehives, boxes, mortars, church, drums), food (fruit), medicine (bark, roots), fodder (leaves), bee forage, mulch, soil conservation, ornamental, shade. The present study was conducted to investigate the in-vitro antioxidant (DPPH assay) and cytotoxic (Brine Shrimp) of different parts (leaves, stem, park and fruit) of C. africana. The different parts of C. africana was screened for antioxidant screening for their free radical scavenging properties using 2.2Di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), while propyl galate was used as standard antioxidant and screened for their cytotoxicity using brine shrimp. The inhibition percentage of antioxidant against (DPPH assay) varied from (37 ± 0.10 to 95 ± 0.00% RSA). The test of cytotoxicity was done using brine shrimp lethality, verified the toxic extracts except stem by water and leaves by methanol and water extracts. This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity (brine shrimp) of C. africana. Keywords: Cordia africana, antioxidant activity, brine shrimp.

39-45

Authors: Ali Abdella Eltayeib and Wejdan Ishag

Cordia sinensis which is known locally as Andrab is a medicinal plant used traditionally in Sudan and in many other countries as an antioxidant, anti-glycation, anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory. This study was aimed to prepare various crude extracts of C. sinensis bark using different polarities of solvent; phytochemical screening, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity of the bark crude extracts. Bark of Cordia sinensis was collected from Omdurman area, dried under shade, powdered and then extracted successively with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol by using shaker apparatus (at room temperature). The phytochemical examinations were carried out for all extracts. The preliminary phytochemical analysis of the bark crude extracts revealed the presence of various amount of flavonoids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, sterols/triterpense, alkaloids and showed no saponins and coumarins. Crude extracts at concentrations 25 and 50 mg/ml were applied against four standard bacteria (Gram positive: Bacillus subtillis and Staphylococcus aureus, Gram negative: Klebsiella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and two standard fungi (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger) using the disc diffusion method assay. The methanolic extract at concentration 50 mg/ml was found to be more active against two types of bacteria (Klebsiella and P. aeruginosa) and showed an intermediate activity against the other two types of bacteria (B. subtillis and S. aureus) and also against the two types of fungi (C. albicans and A. niger). No activity was observed with the three solvents (chloroform, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether) (25 and 50 mg/ml) extracts and the methanolic (25 mg/ml) extract against all the microorganisms tested, except ethyl acetate extract at concentration 50 mg/ml showed intermediate inhibition zone (15 mm) against Klebsiella. All extracts were found to be potent against brine shrimps with moderate LD50. The free radical scavenging activity of the crude extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. The antioxidant activity of methanolic extract was the strongest (60%), followed in descending order by ethyl acetate (52%), chloroform (48%), and petroleum ether (32%) extracts. The results showed that higher concentrations are more active than lower concentrations in case of antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities and also showed that methanolic extract was found to be having potent effect more than other extracts. The study recommends further study for identification of chemical compounds in each extract and specifies the active components that make antimicrobial, cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities of this plant. Keywords: Cordia sinensis, bark extracts, phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity.

55-61

Authors: Roque FP, Aníbal PC, Busato SN, Boni GC, Höfling JF, Queiroz NCA and Foglio MA

This study investigated the antifungal activity of some compounds chromatographically isolated from Pterodon pubescens oil and identified by mass spectrometry: geranylgeraniol, 6α-hydroxy-17β-7β-dihydroxivouacapan-oate, ester isomers 6α-hydroxy-7β-acetoxy-17β-vouacapan-oate and 7β-acetoxy-17β-hydroxyvouacapan-oate and an unknown compound (m/z 355). Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assessment showed antifungal activity at 2000 µg/ml only for the unknown compound (m/z 355) against Candida albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. Exposure to this compound caused morphological changes observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). Keywords: Pterodon pubescens, Candida spp., vouacapan, antimicrobial.

69-74

Authors: Abeer Sarwar, Tamanna Binte Huq, Tasnia Malik and Biplab Kumar Das

The current study aimed to investigate the analgesic and antioxidant properties of ethanol extract of Brownea coccinea leaves (EEBL). The initial phytochemical study revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, gums, terpenoids, steroids and reducing sugars. The antioxidant property was checked by using DPPH free radical scavenging method which was conducted at doses of 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 µg/ml. Antioxidant activity was also tested by reducing power capacity (Fe3+ to Fe2+) at concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml. All the results illustrated the presence of antioxidant property of B. coccinea. The analgesic activity was tested in mice at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg by Hot Plate Method and Acetic Acid Induced Writhing Method. The analgesic analysis was conducted on Swiss Albino mice and the results clearly exhibited significant (p < 0.001 to 0.05) activity. Keywords: Brownea coccinea, Fabaceae, phytochemical, antioxidant, analgesic, EEBL.