No abstract

No abstract

The most common diseases that affect low-income countries are helminthosis and trypanosomosis. In Ghana, and in many other African countries, herbal treatment of various diseases is still common. In the present study, we sought to determine the antitrypanosomal and anthelminthic activities of Carica papaya and Ceiba pentandra. The ethanol extracts of Carica papaya stem bark (PPSe) and leaves (PPLe) and ethanol extracts of Ceiba pentandra stem bark (CPSe) and leaves (CPLe) were screened against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Pheretima posthuma worms in vitro. CPSe exhibited strong antitrypanosomal activity, while the other extracts exhibited moderate activity against T. b. brucei. All the extracts showed weak selective indices (SI) when tested on Jurkat cell lines, which is indicative of a potential toxic effect. When the extracts were screened against P. posthuma worms, only PPSe and CPSe were able to kill the worms after the exposure time at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL. PPSe was again the only extract that potentiated the anthelminthic activity of albendazole against P. posthuma worms. Preliminary phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of compounds with antitrypanosomal and anthelminthic properties. The results confirmed the potential of C. papaya and C. pentandra as remedies for trypanosomosis and helminthosis and also gives credence to their folkloric use.

Amaryllidaceae is a significant source of bioactive phytochemicals with a strong propensity to develop new drugs. The genera Allium, Tulbaghia, Cyrtanthus and Crinum biosynthesize novel alkaloids and other phytochemicals with traditional and pharmacological uses. Amaryllidaceae biomolecules exhibit multiple pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory effects. Traditionally, natural products from Amaryllidaceae are utilized to treat non-communicable and infectious human diseases. Galanthamine, a drug from this family, is clinically relevant in treating the neurocognitive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, which underscores the importance of the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Although Amaryllidaceae provide a plethora of biologically active compounds, there is tardiness in their development into clinically pliable medicines. Other genera, including Cyrtanthus and Tulbaghia, have received little attention as potential sources of promising drug candidates. Given the reciprocal relationship of the increasing burden of human diseases and limited availability of medicinal therapies, more rapid drug discovery and development are desirable. To expedite clinically relevant drug development, we present here evidence on bioactive compounds from the genera Allium, Tulgbaghia, Cyrtanthus and Crinum and describe their traditional and pharmacological applications.

Scientific research into developing new antimicrobials from plants continues to be an interesting area for many scientists. This is because the resistance of microorganisms to anti-infective agents has affected a wide range of conditions, some of which are life-threatening. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of Cnestis ferruginea (CF). Powdered roots of Cnestis ferruginea were extracted with petroleum ether (CFP), ethyl acetate (CFE) and methanol (CFM). The antimicrobial and microbial resistance modifying activity profiles of the extracts were studied against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 4853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, clinical strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus mirabilis and Candida albicans. CFP and CFE showed no activity against the test organisms. CFM had mean zones of growth inhibition in the range of 11.0 AE 0.5 to 22.17 AE 0.24 mm against the test organisms. The MIC of CFM was within the range of 0.31 and 5.0 mg/mL, with MBC/MFC range of 2.5-20.0 mg/mL. The time-kill kinetics studies showed CFM is a static agent. At sub-inhibitory concentrations, CFM was able to increase the susceptibility of the test organisms to standard antibiotics from the range of 1-8 folds. CFM reduced the formation of biofilms from 100% to 56.59%, 62.33%, 65.89% and 71.88% against K. pneumonia, S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. The findings of this study show that C. ferruginea possesses antimicrobial activity and therefore gives credence to its folkloric use.

Biofilms, are vastly structured surface-associated communities of microorganisms, enclosed within a self-produced extracellular matrix. Microorganisms, especially bacteria are able to form complex structures known as biofilms. The presence of biofilms especially in health care settings increases resistance to antimicrobial agents which poses a major health problem. This is because biofilm-associated persistent infections are difficult to treat due to the presence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. This chapter will give an idea about documented agents including isolated compounds, crude extracts, decoctions, fractions, etc. obtained from natural sources such as plants, bacteria, fungi, sponge and algae with antibiofilm activities. Furthermore, we have done phylogenetic analysis to identify plant families most prolific in producing plant species and compounds with good antibiofilm properties so as to aid in prioritizing plant species to investigate in future studies. The data in this chapter will help serve as valuable information and guidance for future antimicrobial development.

No abstract

No abstract