In vitro Assessment of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of a Congolese Medicinal Plant Species Anthocleista schweinfurthii Gilg (Gentianaceae)

Research Article

In vitro Assessment of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of a Congolese Medicinal Plant Species Anthocleista schweinfurthii Gilg (Gentianaceae)

Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua, Rosie Esther N. Mubindukila, Pius T. Mpiana, Masengo C. Ashande, Robijaona Baholy, Pierre Ruphin Fatiany, Takoy L., Grégoire E. Ekutsu, Zoawe B. Gbolo

Corresponding Author : Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua,

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, P.O. Box 190 Kinshasa XI, D.R. Congo.

Email ID : jpngbolua@unikin.ac.cd

Received : 2014-05-22 Accepted : 2014-06-15 Published : 2014-06-15

Abstract : The plant species Anthocleista schweinfurthii is eaten by bonobos, an endemic pygmy chimpanzee of Democratic Republic of the Congo and also used in folk medicine to treat bacterial diseases. To provide a scientific basis to traditional uses, the plant species was screened for it antibacterial and antioxidant potential.Antibacterial activity was assessed by minimum inhibitory concentration method. The presence of phytoconstituents was evaluated qualitatively. A. schweinfurthii extracts displayed interesting antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The Gram positive bacteria S. aureus ATCC 33591 were more sensitive to A. schweinfurthii than the Gram negative E. coli ATCC 27195. The stem bark extracts and n-hexane fraction of the leaves were found to be biologically active against Staphyloccocus aureus ATCC 33591 strains (MIC ≤ 62, 5 µg/mL) while, the bioactivity of dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol soluble fractions of the leaves was moderate (MIC > 100 µg/mL). The methanol extract of the stem bark displayed interesting bioactivity (MIC = 62,5 µg/mL) while the leaves based extracts and the n-hexane, the dichloromethane and the ethyl acetate fractions of the stem bark of A. schweinfurthii displayed moderate activity against E. Coli ATCC 27195 strains (MIC > 100 µg/mL). Methanol extract of A. schweinfurthii displayed also interesting free radical Scavenging activity (IC50 < 10 µg/mL). Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of total polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes and steroids while, anthocyanins, leuco-anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, quinones and saponins were absent in the plant extracts. Antibacterial and free radical scavenging efficacy shown by this plant provides a scientific basis and thus, validates it traditional use as phytomedicine. Isolation and purification of different phytochemicals may further yield significant antibacterial and antioxidant agents.

Keywords : Traditional medicine, Anthocleista schweinfurthii, bacterial infections, antioxidant activity, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Citation : Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua, et al (2014), In vitro Assessment of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of a Congolese Medicinal Plant Species Anthocleista schweinfurthii Gilg (Gentianaceae). J. of Modern Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery Research. V1I3. DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.1000302

Copyright : © 2014 Koto-te-Nyiwa Ngbolua. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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