Pharmacological Assessment of the Medicinal Potential of Acacia mearnsii De Wild.: Antimicrobial and Toxicity Activities

Abstract

Acacia mearnsii De Wild. (Fabaceae) is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of microbial infections in South Africa without scientific validation of its bioactivity and toxicity. The antimicrobial activity of the crude acetone extract was evaluated by both agar diffusion and macrobroth dilution methods while its cytotoxicity effect was assessed with brine shrimp lethality assay. The study showed that both bacterial and fungal isolates were highly inhibited by the crude extract. The MIC values for the gram-positive bacteria (78.1–312.5) μg/mL, gram-negative bacteria (39.1–625) μg/mL and fungal isolates (625–5000) μg/mL differ significantly. The bacteria were more susceptible than the fungal strains tested. The antibiosis determination showed that the extract was more (75%) bactericidal than bacteriostatic (25%) and more fungicidal (66.67%) than fungistatic (33.33%). The cytotoxic activity of the extract was observed between 31.25 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL and the LC50 value (112.36 μg/mL) indicates that the extract was nontoxic in the brine shrimp lethality assay (LC50 > 100 μg/mL). These results support the use of A. mearnsii in traditional medicine for treatment of microbial infections. The extract exhibiting significant broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and nontoxic effects has potential to yield active antimicrobial compounds.

Pharmacological Studies: Antibacterial, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Efficacy of Casuarina Equisetifolia Root Extracts

“…The potentiality of plants to act as therapeutic agents is based on its phytoconstituents such as phenols, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, proteins, amino acids, and steroids. Currently, about 75% of the population still depend on traditional medicine practices for the management of various diseases [1]. Better compatibility of plantbased medicines with the human body with very minor side effects has increased the interest to rediscover more plant-based chemical substances, which could serve as a better pharmacological active substance.…”

Medicinal potential of Morella serata (Lam.) Killick (Myricaceae) root extracts: biological and pharmacological activities

“…In Africa, the use of plant derived remedies in traditional health care practices is common and widespread [2], even before the introduction of synthetic antibiotics and other modern drugs [3]. Today, about 80% of the World’s population still depends on the traditional medicine practices for the management of various diseases [3,4]. …”

“…Although there is a growing interest in correlating the phytochemical constituents of a medicinal plant with its pharmacological activity [10,11], the toxicological effects of most of these crude extracts are often overlooked based on the facts that plant medicines have better compatibilities with the human body and produce fewer side effects [3]. However, to forestall adverse effects, sometimes life-threatning, allegedly arising from herbal remedies consumption, cytotoxicity testing, an integral component of the biological evaluation of pharmacological materials and an essential part of standard procedures becomes necessary [3].…”

“…However, to forestall adverse effects, sometimes life-threatning, allegedly arising from herbal remedies consumption, cytotoxicity testing, an integral component of the biological evaluation of pharmacological materials and an essential part of standard procedures becomes necessary [3]. …”

“…Also to evaluate the antibiotic bioprospecting potential of the species and finally to investigate the cytotoxicity potential of the plant on brine shrimp ( Artemia salina ) larvae. Since toxicological evaluation of plant extracts seeks to determine its possible collateral effects to ensure the safety of its use, brine shrimp larvae being sensitive to toxic substances are commonly used for toxicity assays in pharmacology [3,15]. This paper present for the first time, the qualitative phytochemical screening, antibacterial, anticandida and cytotoxicity of M. serata root extracts.…”