The non-polar components of two leguminoceae species Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach), and Pterocarpus angolensis (DC) were investigated. GC-MS analysis of the crude n-hexane and chloroform extracts together with several chromatographic separation techniques led to the identification and characterization (using NMR) of sixteen known compounds from the heartwood and stem bark of Albizia adianthifolia and Pterocarpus angolensis respectively. These constituents include, n-hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) 1, oleic acid 2, chondrillasterol 3, stigmasterol 4, 24S 5α-stigmast-7-en-3β-ol 5, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, methyl ester 6, trans-13-octadecanoic acid, methyl ester 7, tetradecanoic acid 8, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester 9, octadecanoic acid 10, tetratriacontane 11, 7-dehydrodiosgenin 12, lupeol 13, stigmasta-3,5-diene-7-one 14, friedelan-3-one (friedelin) 15, and 1-octacosanol 16. Using agar over lay method, the preliminary antimicrobial assay for the extracts was carried out against bacterial (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, S. aueus) and a fungus/yeast (C. albicans) strains. The n-hexane and chloroform extracts of A. adianthifolia showed the best activity against E. coli with minimum inhibition quantity (MIQ) of 1 µg each while the remaining exhibited moderate-to-weak activity against the test microorganisms.

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Polyphenols are a versatile class of compounds that represent secondary metabolites from higher plants and which are abundantly present in the human diet. Epidemiological data suggest protective effects of polyhenols in relation to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases and age-related conditions. HIV/AIDS remains prevalent in many parts of the world as acute infection and as anti-retroviral drug (ARV)-managed chronic disease. Due to the nature of the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and an increased use of ARVs many drug-resistant HIV strains have emerged and continue to do so. This makes it impossible to rely on one standard drug treatment regime. This review summarizes anti- HIV activities of polyphenols. It highlights the diversity of modes of action by which polyphenols - according to their respective compound classes - exert their activities. Additionally, this review discusses polyphenols as multi-target anti-HIV agents and provides the context of in-vivo and clinical data. Based on the presented data, a three-pronged approach for further anti-HIV drug discovery is suggested applying methods of combinatorial medicinal chemistry on the diverse and sometimes unique scaffolds of polyphenols. The latter being selected according to the approach of 'reverse pharmacology' as a creative way to place safety and other clinical consideration at the beginning of the drug discovery- and development process.

The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize the constituents of the local Morus nigra L.

The seed pods of Erythrina latissima yielded erysotrine, erysodine, syringaresinol, vanillic acid, a new erythrina alkaloid, (+)-10,11-dioxoerysotrine, which was lethal to brine shrimp and 2-(5'-hydroxy-3'-methoxy phenyl)-6-hydroxy-5-methoxybenzofuran, which showed strong antimicrobial activity against the yeast spores, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The root bark gave four known pterocarpans which showed moderate to strong antifungal activity against the yeast spores and three known flavonoids showed antimicrobial activity against all test microorganisms.

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