Planta Med 2008; 74 - SL31
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1083911

Anti-infective compounds from South African plants

FR Van Heerden 1, ACU Lourens 1, SL Schwikkard 1, KA Smith 1, E Steyl 2, SF Van Vuuren 3
  • 1School of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
  • 2Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, P O Box Bloemfoentein 9300, South Africa
  • 3Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Rd, Parktown 2193

Human infections with organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus [1] and Mycobacterium tuberculosis [2] once again have become a major problem due to the development of multidrug-resistant strains of these organisms and new antibiotics are urgently needed. Herewith we want to report the isolation, structural elucidation and activity of compounds with antibiotic activity from four South African plants, Hypericum lalandii (compound 1), H. roeperianum (Hypericaceae) (compound 2), Helichrysum excisum (Asteraceae) (compound 3) and Garuleum bipinnatum (Asteraceae) (compound 4).

Acknowledgements: National research Foundation (South Africa) for financial assistance

References: 1. García-Lara, J. et al. (2005) Drug Disc Today 10:643.

2. Leanaerts, A.J. et al. (2008) Trends Microbiol 16:48.