Cycloeucalenol and Ρ-Coumaric Acid from Nigerian Propolis and their Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

Propolis is a honeybee product employed in folkloric medicine and as a source of various bioactive constituents. Chromatography is a proven method for isolating natural compounds and the ethyl acetate extracts of propolis from Owerri in Imo State and Umuahia in Abia State Nigeria were subjected to column chromatography and the isolated compounds were identified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR) analysis. The compounds isolated were cycloeucalenol and para-coumaric acid. Antimicrobial assay of the isolated compounds was carried out by agar well diffusion and broth dilution methods using local clinical isolates. The isolated compounds showed good antibacterial and antifungal activities with zones of inhibition ranging between 25-34 mm. The MIC/MBC/MFC values were between 5 mg/mL and 2.5 mg/mL. This study confirmed the folkloric use of propolis and its varying phytochemical composition.