Antimycobacterial, antioxidant activity and toxicity of extracts from the roots of <i>Rauvolfia vomitoria</i> and <i>R. caffra</i>

Abstract

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the antimycobacterial activity of total alkaloid and ethanolic aqueous extracts of Rauvolfia vomitoria and R. caffra. It further aimed to evaluate antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity effect of the extracts which would have shown high antimycobacterial efficacy. METHODS: The alkaloids from the roots of two plant species were extracted according to standard procedures. Antimycobacterial activity of the extracts was evaluated using a two fold microdilution method. The antioxidant activity of the alkaloids and ethanolic extracts was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing capacity assays. The potential cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated using brine shrimp toxicity assay. Comparison of alkaloidal composition of the two alkaloidal extracts was done using HPLC analysis. RESULTS: The study revealed that, alkaloid extracts from the roots of Rauvolfia species had higher antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium madagascariense (MM) and M. indicus pranii (MIP). The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values of alkaloid extracts ranged between 0.078 to 1.25 mg/ml, while the ethanolic extracts were generally moderately active against test organism. The alkaloids and ethanolic aqueous extracts of R. vomitoria exhibited high antioxidant activity. In the cytotoxicity assay, extracts did not exhibit any toxicity against brine shrimps. CONCLUSION: The alkaloids from the roots of R. vomitoria have high antimycobacterial and antioxidant activity. The alkaloids ability to inhibit the growth of two Mycobacterium strains may be associated to its antioxidant activity. The cytotoxicity of the most active extract is negligible when compared to the standard anticancer drug, this may explain why R. vomitoria is highly used in the treatment of various infectious and physiological ailments. ÖZET AMAÇ: Çalışmada Rauvolfia vomitoria ve R. caffra alkaloid ve etanolik sıvı ekstrelerinin antimikobakteriyel etkilerinin araştırılması ve ayrıca, yüksek antimikobakteriyel etki gösterecek olan ekstrelerin antioksidan ve sitotoksik etkilerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. YÖNTEM: Alkoloidler, standart prosedürlere göre iki bitkinin köklerinden ekstrakte edildi. Ekstrelerin antimikobakteriyel etkileri, iki kat mikrodilüsyon metodu kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Alkaloidlerin ve etanol ekstrelerin antioksidan etkileri 1,1-difenil-2-pikrilhidrazil (DPPH) ve indirgeyen kapasite analizleri kullanılarak saptandı. Ekstrelerin potansiyel sitotoksisitesi, tuzlu su karidesi toksisite analizi kullanılarak değerlendirildi. İki alkoloidal ekstrenin alkoloidal bileşiminin karşılaştırılması, HPLC analizi kullanılarak yapıldı. BULGULAR: Çalışmamız, Rauvolfia türlerinin köklerinden elde edilen alkaloid ekstrelerin, Mycobacterium madagascariense (MM) and M. indicus pranii (MIP)'ye karşı yüksek antimikobakteriyel etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Alkoloid ekstrelerin minimum inhibitör konsantrasyonları (MIC), 0.078-1.25 mg/ml arasında değişirken, etanolik ekstreler, genellikle orta derece...

In Vitro Studies on Antioxidant and Anti-Parasitic Activities of Compounds Isolated from Rauvolfia caffra Sond

“…Therefore, we decided to isolate compounds from the stem bark, identify the major chemical constituents present and determine if they are responsible for the bioactivity of the plant. Our results confirm the reported antioxidant activity of the crude methanol extracts from Rauvolfia caffra [ 22 , 23 ]. However, isolated compounds from this plant have not yet been studied for their antioxidant activity.…”

“…The main constituents isolated and identified from the stem bark of R. caffra are macrocaffrine, yohimbine, sarpagan, akuammicine, dihydroindole, indolenine, peraksine, oxindole, anhydronium, ajmaline, ajmalicine and geissoschizol. These alkaloids also have pharmacological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antioxidant, antitumor and antidiabetic properties [ 22 , 23 ]. Although herbal practitioners use Rauvolfia caffra in South Africa and some African countries for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, there are a limited number of studies into the chemistry of the underground and aerial parts of R. caffra as well as the bioactivity of the extracts.…”

Multidrug resistant bacteria are sensitive to Euphorbia prostrata and six others Cameroonian medicinal plants extracts

“…The extracts from leaves of R. macrophylla and M. tomentosa exhibited better antibacterial activity than those obtained from their barks; this selective activity may be due the qualitative and/or quantitative difference in phytochemical contents of parts of the plants. The antibacterial activity obtained with R. macrophylla extracts may be due to the alkaloids present in this plant; in effect, Erasto et al [ 13 ] have demonstrated the anti-mycobacterial extracts properties of alkaloids extracts from R. macrophylla . Viscum album extracts from various parts of plant were active on all bacterial species used in this study.…”

“…(1974/SRF-Cam)/BignoniaceaeEdema, cancer, gout, scrotal elephantiasis, pulmonary troubles, general body pain [30]Leavesβ-sitosterol, β-sitosterol-3- O -β- d -glucopyranoside, dehydroiso-α-lapachone, 2-acetylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione, pomolic acid, 2-acetyl-6-methoxynaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione, β-lapachone, tormentic acid, oleanolic acid, palustrine [31, 32]Antiprotozoal, antihelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, analgesic, anti-inflammatory antioxidant, anti-tumor [31–33] Viscum album L. (2974/HNC)/LoranthaceaeAtherosclerosis, hypertension, cancer, headache, dizziness, palpitation [34, 35]LeavesConiferin, syringin, eleutheroside E, syringaresinol- O -glucoside, ligalbumosides A–E, alangilignoside C, kalopanaxin D, β-amyrin acetate, β-amyrin, lupeol, lupeol acetate oleanolic acid, betulinic acid, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, trans -α-bergamotene, trans -β-farnesene, loliolide, vomifoliol, 5,7-dimethoxy-flavanone-4′- O -glucoside, 2′-hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone-4- O -glucoside, 5,7-dimethoxyflavanone-4′- O -[2′′- O -(5′′′- O - trans -cinnamoyl)-apiosyl]-glucoside), 2′-hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone-4- O -[2′′- O -(5′′′- O - trans -cinnamoyl)-apiosyl]-glucoside, 2′-hydroxy-3,4′,6′-trimethoxychalcone-4- O -glucoside, 2′-hydroxy-4′,6′-dimethoxychalcone-4- O -[apiosyl(1 → 2)]-glucoside, 5,7-dimethoxyflavanone-4′- O -[apiosyl-(1 → 2)]-glucoside, (2 S )-3′,5,7-trimethoxyflavanone-4′- O -glucoside, 4′- O -[β-apiosyl(1 → 2)]-β-glucosyl]-5-hydroxy-7- O -sinapylflavanone, 3-(4-acetoxy-3,5-dimethoxy)-phenyl-2 E -propenyl-β-glucoside, 3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy)-phenyl-2 E -propenyl-β-glucoside, 4′,5-dimethoxy-7-hydroxy flavanone, 5,7-dimethoxy-4′-hydroxy flavanone [36]Antihypertensive, cytotoxicity, vascular effects, antioxidant, antibacterial [34, 35, 37, 38] Rauwolfia macrophylla Ruiz & Pav. (1697/SRFK)/ApocynaceaeMeasles or itching rash, fever, swellings, rheumatism, hepatitis, pneumonia, abdominal pain, cough and toothache, headache, insomnia and palpitation of the heart, abscess, roundworm, tapeworm, hypertension, epilepsy, eye diseases, venereal diseases [39]Leaves, bark, rootsReserpine, rescinnamine, ajmaline, methyl reserpate, normacusine B, suaveoline, serpentine, perakine, vomilenine, peraksine, dihydroperaksine, norajmaline, ajmalicinine, ajmalicine, geissoschizol, pleiocarpamine, α-yohimbine, alloyohimbine, yohimbine [40–43]Antimycobacterial and Antibacterial activity, antioxidant [13, 44, 45] …”

Pharmacognostic study and peptidomic analysis of the leaves of Nigerian Rauvolfia vomitoria Wennberg (Apocynaceae)

“…Other uses include convulsion, jaundice and gastrointestinal troubles [9]. The biological activities reported for this plant include anthelmintic, cytotoxic, anticancer [10,11], antimycobacterial, antioxidant activity [4,12], hepatoprotective [13], antispasmodial [14] and antipyretic [15,16] effects. About 50 alkaloids have been isolated from this plant, among which are reserpine, ajmaline, deserpidine, corynanthine, rescinnamine and yohimbine [3,17,18].…”