Planta Med 2013; 79 - PC1
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1351995

Antimicrobial and cytotoxicity studies of the methanolic extracts of Erythrophleum ivorense leaf and stem bark

L Adu-Amoah 1, E Kesseih 2, C Agyare 1, A Hensel 2
  • 1Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, PMB, Kumasi, Ghana
  • 2University of Muenster, Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry, Corrensstraße 48, 48149 Muenster, Germany

Introduction

The antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of the methanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of Erythrophleum ivorense A. Chev (Leguminosae) were studied to justify its use in treating microbial infections and wounds of many West African countries, including Ghana [1] as well as confirm its toxicity to several livestock [2].

Method

Their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against Bacillus subtilis NCTC 10073, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 4853, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and clinical isolate of Candida albicans were determined using the micro-dilution method [3] while their influences on cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity of HaCaT keratinocytes were also studied [4].

Results

The leaf methanolic extracts had MICs of 4, 2, 8, 5 and 4 mg/mL for B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and C. albicans, respectively while the stem bark extract respectively had 2, 4, 3, 4 and 2 mg/mL against these microbes. Within the tested concentrations (0.1 – 100 µg/mL), both extracts decreased the viability and proliferation of the HaCaT keratinocyte cells but did not significantly increased the release of LDH from the cells, compared to the untreated cells.

Conclusion

The demonstrated antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities justified the objectives and confirmed its ethnomedical uses.

References:

[1] Irvine (1961) Woody Plants of Ghana.

[2] Loder et al., (1974), Aust. J. Chem. 27:179 – 185.

[3] Agyare et al., (2013), Pharm Biol, 51(4):418 – 425.

[4] Agyare et al. (2011), Phytomedicine, 18(7):617 – 624.