Planta Med 2011; 77 - SL40
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282163

Anticancer, antimicrobial and antiviral potentials of selected medicinal plants from the Island Soqotra

RA Mothana 1, U Lindequist 2, PJ Bednarski 3, R Mentel 4
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 2Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
  • 3Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
  • 4Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany

Soqotra is considered the „jewel“ of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the plant species of Soqotra are found nowhere else [1]. Fifty plants were collected, extracted with methanol and hot water and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against three human cancer cell lines (A-427, 5637 and MCF-7) and for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as multiresistant Staphylococcus strains. Moreover, the antiviral activity of 25 plants has been assayed in two in vitro viral systems, influenza virus type A/MDCK cells and herpes simplex virus type 1/Vero cells, at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The methanolic extracts of Ballochia atro-virgata Balf.f., Buxus hildebrandtii Baill., Dendrosicyos socotrana Balfour, Dracena cinnabari Balf.f., Eureiandra balfourii Cogn., Hypoestes pubescens Balf.f., Jatropha unicostata Balf.f. and Punica protopunica Balf.f. Withania aduensis Vierh. and Withania riebeckii Schweinf. ex Balf.f. exhibited the highest toxicity on all tumor cell lines with IC50 values ranging between 0.29 and 8.2µg/ml [2,3].

The greatest antimicrobial activity was found by the methanolic extracts of Boswellia ameero Balf.f., Boswellia dioscorides Thul. & Gifri, Boswellia elongata Balf.f., Boswellia socotrana Balf.f., Buxus hildebrandtii, Commiphora ornifolia (Balf.f.) J.B.Gillett, Commiphora parvifolia Engl., Euclea divinorum Hiern, Euphorbia socotrana Balf.f., Jatropha unicostata, Kalanchoe farinacea Balf.f., Leucas samhaensis Cortés-Burns & A.G.Mill., Leucas virgata Balf.f., Pulicaria stephanocarpa Balf.f., Punica protopunica, Rhus thyrsiflora Balf.f., Teucrium socotranum Vierh., Withania adunensis and Withania riebeckii [3,4].

The methanolic extracts of Boswellia ameero, Boswellia elongata, Buxus hildebrandtii, Cissus hamaderohensis Radcl.-Sm., Cleome socotrana Balf.f., Exacum affine Balf.f., Jatropha unicostata and Kalanchoe farinacea showed anti-influenza virus type A activity with IC50-values from 12.5 to 0.7µg/ml [5]. In addition, 15 plants of the 25 investigated exhibited anti-HSV-1 activity [5].

Keywords: Soqotra, Medicinal plants, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antiviral

References: 1. Miller, G. A., Morris, M. (2004) Ethnoflora of the Soqotra Archipelago. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK: Printed by the Charlesworth Group, Huddersfield, UK.

2. Mothana RAA, Grünert R, Lindequist U, Bednarski PJ (2007) Pharmazie 62: 305–307.

3. Mothana RAA, Lindequist U, Grünert R, Bednarski PJ (2009) BMC Complement Altern Med 9: 7.

4. Mothana, RAA, Lindequist U (2005)J Ethnopharmacol 96: 177–181.

5. Mothana, RAA, Reiss C, Mentel R, Lindequist U (2006) Phytother Res 20: 298–302.