Essential oil of Alchornea laxiflora (benth): phytochemical, antimicrobial and toxicity evaluations

Abstract

Alchornea laxiflora belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family has ethnomedicinal applications as antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial agent. This present study investigated the spectroscopic, antibacterial, and toxicity profile of essential oil of Alchornea laxiflora (ALEO). The composition of ALEO was detected using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Using agar disc diffusion, the antibacterial activity of ALEO against five clinical isolates: Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Bacillus cereus ATCC 10872, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was evaluated. The toxicity profile of ALEO was obtained in studies involving Wistar rats. GC-MS analysis identified eight bioactive compounds, mostly fatty acids and their ester derivatives. The FTIR spectrum revealed peaks at 3500-3180 cm‾¹ and 2950-2800 cm‾¹ corresponding to O-H stretch band of alcohol and the C-H stretch of aliphatic alkane, respectively. The highest zone of inhibition diameter was recorded against Bacillus cereus ATCC 10872 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, while the least zone of inhibition was against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027. Oral administration of ALEO caused an elevation in Alanine aminotransferase activity. The essential oil of Alchornea laxiflora has potential as an antibacterial. However, the doses used in this study might be slightly hepatotoxic

Appraising the therapeutical potentials of Alchornea laxiflora (Benth.) Pax & K. Hoffm., an underexplored medicinal herb: A systematic review

“…Essential oils from A. laxiflora leaves obtained by hydrodistillation were also assessed for toxic effects at doses 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg on albino rats. Oral administration of essential Frontiers in Pharmacology frontiersin.org oils at higher doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) elevated serum ALT activity, depletion of serum bilirubin, and liver hypertrophy, suggesting possible derangement of hepatic functions at higher doses (Otuechere et al, 2019).…”

“…Recently, essential oil from A. laxiflora leaves hydro-distillate on GC-MS analysis offered three long-chain aliphatic acids (palmitic, oleic, and petroselinic) ( Otuechere et al, 2019 ). In another study, the crude methanolic extract of A. laxiflora leaves was subjected to column chromatographic separation and HR-ESI-TOF-MS analysis, resulting in the isolation of one novel fatty acid ester, namely, (10 Z )-tetradec-10-enoic acid-(2 S )-2-carboxy-2-hydroxyethyl ester, and one new ceramide, (2 R )-2-hydroxy- N -[(2 S ,3 S ,4 R ,15 Z )-1,3,4-trihydroxy-15-triaconten-2-yl]octacosamide ( Sandjo et al, 2011 ).…”

“…Furthermore, in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils from leaves of A. laxiflora was carried out against B. cereus ATCC 10872, B. subtilis ATCC 6633, S. aureus ATCC 25923, P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027, and E. coli ATCC 25922. The mean ZOI ranged between 7 and 9 mm in contrast to the standard antibiotic ampicillin, with ZOI ranging between 6 and 8 mm ( Otuechere et al, 2019 ).…”