Phytochemical Analysis and Investigation of the Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Croton dichogamus Pax Crude Root Extracts

Abstract

Background. Increasing antimicrobial resistance has led to an arduous search for new potent drugs from nature. In this search, plants have proved to be rich reservoirs of efficacious medicinal components that manage ailments. The current study is designed to investigate the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and the cytotoxicity of the crude root extracts of Croton dichogamus, a shrub that is commonly used in the eastern Africa for the management of infectious diseases. Methods. The roots of Croton dichogamus were obtained, dried, ground, and extracted using three solvents (acetone, distilled water, and 50% ethanol). The antimicrobial activity was tested using agar well diffusion and microbroth dilution techniques against five human pathogens. The brine shrimp lethality assay was used to assess the toxic effect. Results. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, polyuronides, saponins, and anthracenes. The brine shrimp lethality assay indicated that all the extracts were highly cytotoxic with LC50 values below 100 μg/ml. Acetonic extract had an LC50 value of 4.148 μg/ml, hydroethanolic extract had 76.09 μg/ml, and aqueous extract had 42.61 μg/ml. All extracts showed the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (B. cereus and S. aureus) and a fungal organism, C. albicans. The extracts showed no antibacterial effect on the Gram-negative bacterial strains (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) at a concentration of 250 mg/ml. The highest antimicrobial activity was demonstrated by the acetonic extract on B. cereus which had an MIC of 10.42 mg/ml and a zone of inhibition of 17.33 ± 0.58 at a concentration of 250 mg/ml. Conclusion. In this research work, we report that C. dichogamus had the antimicrobial activity confirming the folklore claim. The results made a strong case for isolation of novel anticancer lead compounds.

Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Composition of Ocimum americanum L. (Lamiaceae)

“…However, the aqueous extracts and their fractions showed no antimicrobial activities, which has been reported by an earlier study [4]. Despite Gram-positive bacteria having thicker cell wall, their peptidoglycan layer is more permeable to certain compounds than the Gram-negative bacteria, due to the absence of the outer (lipopolysaccharide) membrane [4,38]. Similarly, the inactivity of the aqueous crude extracts and their fractions is due to polarity; the nonpolar outer (lipopolysaccharide) membrane and phospholipid bilayer form a hydrophobic barrier, thus preventing entry of polar compounds inside the cell [39].…”

“…e acetonic crude extract and fractions as well as the aqueous fractions had moderate toxicity (LC 50 303.39 µg/ml), which shows that they have a low partition coefficient (Kd), which weakens the extraction and partitioning power of these solvents [43]. e disparity in the toxicity between the crude extracts and the fractions is due to the phytochemical distribution of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and terpenoids on the samples [38,44].…”

“…ey impede the cyclooxygenase cascade which in turn prevents interleukins and cytokines that initiate pain during inflammatory process. Research has also demonstrated that alkaloids possess antimicrobial, antimalarial, and antispasmodic activities [38,45]. e anthraquinones were only present in the acetone extract and its chloroform fraction.…”

In-Vivo Anti-Malarial Activity of 80% Methanol Leaf Extract of Croton Dichogamus Pax and Ehretia Cymosa Thonn in Plasmodium Berghei Infected Mice

“…It has thornless branches and green upper- and silvery-bottom-colored leaves that become bright orange when dying. 13 , 14 Although, it is known as an orange-leaved croton in English, 15 it has several local names in Ethiopia, including Adaaddo and Ulee foonii in Afan Oromo. 16 It is widely used as a traditional medicine in East African countries for the treatment of various diseases.…”

Molecular Docking, Validation, Dynamics Simulations, and Pharmacokinetic Prediction of Phytochemicals Isolated From Croton dichogamus Against the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

“…Among the Croton genus, Croton dichogamus has wide ethnomedicinal use in East African countries including treatment of fever, stomach illness, respiratory disorders, malaria, impotence and infertility. [10][11][12][13][14] The objective of this study was to elucidate and analyze the binding mode of phytochemicals isolated from C. dichogamus in the active site of reverse transcriptase (PDB ID: 1REV) and to compare results with the FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs such as delaviridine (DLV), zidovudine (AZT), nevirapine (NVP) and abacavir (ABC). The docking study gives a new insight into the investigation of molecular interaction between the phytochemical compounds and allows us subsequently to select one or more best active compounds that could be synthesized for an in vitro test in a future study.…”