Antimicrobial activity of Jatropha multifida L. against bacteria and fungi s.t.d. organisms

Jatropha multifida L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a multipurpose shrub commonly planted as an ornamental but often exploited as a medicinal plant in many parts of Africa. Many Jatropha plants have toxic and irritant properties and are used in folklore medicines to cure various diseases in Africa, Asia and Latin America [1]. As part of a continuing investigation of the biological activity of Jatropha species [2,3], this study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial activity of this plant against different microorganisms especially those responsible for sexually transmitted infections and isolate the bioactive constituents. Hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the plants were obtained and subjected to phytochemical and antimicrobial analysis. The extracts and purified fractions were screened against many pathogenic microorganisms comprising gram positive and gram negative bacteria and fungi. The extracts and fractions displayed potent antimicrobial activity against many of the organisms including Gardnerella vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoea and Candida albicans giving Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) as low as 12.5µg/mL. Further phytochemical investigation resulted in the isolation of different compounds including a coumarin, 8-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxy coumarin. The structures of the compounds were determined by MS, 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The results confirmed the potency of this plant in treating different diseases including sexually transmitted infections.

References: [1] Burkill, H.M. (1994) The useful plants of West Tropical Africa. Vol. 2, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

[2] Aiyelaagbe, O.O. et al. (2000) Phytother. Res. 14:60–62.

[3] Aiyelaagbe, O.O. et al. (2007) Int. J. Pharmacology 3:106–110.