Chemical composition profiling and antifungal activity of the essential oil and plant extracts of <i>Mesembryanthemum edule</i> (L.) bolus leaves

Abstract

Background: Essential oil from Mesembryanthemum edule leaves have been used by the Eastern Cape traditional healers for the treatment of respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, dysentery, diabetic mellitus, laryngitis and vaginal infections. The investigation of bioactive compounds in the essential oil of this plant could help to verify the efficacy of the plant in the management or treatment of these illnesses. Materials and methods: Various concentrations of the hydro-distilled essential oil, ranging from 0.005-5 mg/ml, were tested against some fungal strains, using the micro-dilution method. Minimum inhibitory activity was compared with four other different crude extracts of hexane, acetone, ethanol and aqueous samples from the same plant. The chemical composition of the essential oil, hexane, acetone and ethanol extracts was determined using GC-MS. Result: GC/MS analysis of the essential oil resulted in the identification of 28 compounds, representing 99.99% of the total oil. Phytoconstituents of hexane, acetone and ethanol extracts yielded a total peak chromatogram of fifty nine compounds. A total amount of 10.6% and 36.61% of the constituents were obtained as monoterpenes and oxygenated monoterpenes. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (3.58%) were relatively low compared to the oxygenated sesquiterpenes (9.28%), while the major concentrated diterpenes and oxygenated diterpenes were 1.43% and 19.24 %, respectively and phytol 12.41%. Total amount of fatty acids and their methyl esters content, present in the oil extract, were found to be 19.25 %. Antifungal activity of the oil extract and four solvent extracts were tested against five pathogenic fungal strains. The oil extract showed antifungal activity against Candida albican, Candida krusei, Candida rugosa, Candida glabrata and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC ranges of 0.02-0.31 mg/ml. Hexane extract was active against the five fungal strains with MICs ranging between 0.02-1.25 mg/ml. Acetone extracts were active against C. krusei only at 0.04mg/ml. No appreciable antifungal activity was found in either ethanol or water extracts when compared with commercial antibiotics. Conclusion: The profile of chemical constituents found in M. edule essential oil and its antifungal properties support the use of M. edule by traditional healers as well as in the pharmaceutical and food industries as a natural antibiotic and food preservative.

Monographs of invasive plants in Europe:Carpobrotus

“…These reports come mainly from its native area (Matsiliza and Barker 2001;Van Wyk, de Wet, and Van Heerden 2008), but its use to treat hemorrhoids by local people have also been reported in Campania, southern Italy (Motti, Antignani, and Idolo 2009). Carpobrotus edulis has also been credited with anticancer (Ordway et al 2003), anti-bacterial (van der Watt and Pretorius 2001) and antifungal properties (Omoruyi, Afolayan, and Bradley 2014).…”

Phytomedical assessment of two Cymbopogon species found in Nkonkobe Municipality: toxicological effect on human Chang liver cell line

“…These oxygenated compounds have the ability to inhibit microbial causing infections [26]. Phytol administered to mice at increasing dose responds of 25, 50, 10, and 200 mg/kg showed pronounced anti-nociceptive effects in the nociception models used [27, 28].…”

GC–MS Analysis of Aqueous Extract of Unripe Fruit of Carica papaya

“…Specifically, n-hexadecanoic acid represented the phytocomponent with the lowest concentration among the entire phytocomponents present in AqEUF of C. papaya. Tetradecanoic acid (myristic acid) has been detected in methanolic leaf extracts of J. rubens, C. mediterranea and P. capillacea [26], L. inermis [36] and hexane/acetone leaf extracts of M. edule [29]. Previous studies showed that tetradecanoic acid was the major antibacterial and antioxidant principles isolated from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) [39,40] as well as antibacterial agent from P. capillacea [41].…”

“…Like AqEUF of C. papaya, octadecanoic acid is a major phytocomponent of hexane leaf extract of Mesembryanthemum edule used for the treatment of respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, dysentery, diabetic mellitus, laryngitis and vaginal infections by Eastern Cape traditional healers [29]. Octadecanoic acid from Azadirachta indica (neem) extracts [30] and marine red seaweeds, namely, Jania rubens, Corallina mediterranea and P. capillacea exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp [26].…”