Bulletin of the National Research Centre (Jul 2019)

In vitro antimicrobial activity of lignan from the stem bark of Strombosia grandifolia Hook.f. ex Benth

  • Abiche Ekalu,
  • Rachael Gbekele-Oluwa Ayo,
  • James D. Habila,
  • Ibrahim Hamisu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-019-0159-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 43, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Abstract Background The continuous spread of multidrug-resistant and new strains of disease-causing microbe have become a great concern to the world health community. There is therefore the need for the development of new and effective drugs for the treatment of these diseases. Traditional medicinal plants used in our community could be a good source of drugs to fight these problems. This is why this study is focused on the antimicrobial properties of Strombosia grandifolia used as traditional medicines in Nigeria. Results The first reported investigation into the phytochemical constituents of S. grandifolia led to the isolation of (-)-8-hydroxypinoresinol from the CH2Cl2 extract of the stem bark of the plant. The compound was identified as (-)-8-hydroxypinoresinol using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods and by comparison with literature data. The compound was active against tested microorganisms which included Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans using ciprofloxacin and terbinafine as standards. The zones of inhibition (ZOI) ranged between 11 and 17 mm for the compound against the microorganisms. The compound had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.75 to 3.0 mg/ml, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 1.5, and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 3.0 mg/ml. The lignan also showed antifungal activity against C. albicans. This experiment confirmed the efficacy of the lignan as a natural antimicrobial and suggested the possibility of employing it in drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by the test organisms. This is the first report of the isolation of this compound from Strombosia grandifolia. Conclusion In this study, antimicrobial activities of (-)-8-hydroxypinoresinol isolated from the stem bark of Strombosia grandifolia used in Nigeria for the treatment of various ailments were assessed. The result showed potential antibacterial effects of the phytochemical against bacterial strains tested. The compound also exhibited antifungal activity against C. albicans. This justifies the ethnomedicinal uses of the plant in Nigeria.

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