Elsevier

Fitoterapia

Volume 74, Issues 7–8, December 2003, Pages 736-740
Fitoterapia

Short report
Antibacterial activity of Alstonia scholaris and Leea tetramera

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(03)00192-8Get rights and content

Abstract

The crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, stem and root barks of Alstonia scholaris and Leea tetramera on partitioning (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol) gave fractions exhibiting improved and broader spectrum of antibacterial activity. Especially the butanol fractions of A. scholaris and the root bark of L. tetramera. None of the fractions were active against the fungi tested.

Section snippets

Plant.

Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. (Apocynaceae) and Leea tetramera Burtt (Leeaceae) leaves, stem and root barks, were collected in June 1998, from Bulolo, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The plants were identified at the Forestry Department, PNG University of Technology, Lae, where voucher specimens are deposited.

Uses in traditional medicine.

A. scholaris: as fubrifuge and tonic, for digestion, to stimulate appetite, in liver and intestinal troubles and malaria, for inlarged spleen, in diarrhea and dysentery, as antidiabetic, anthelmintic, antiepileptic, in gonorrhea, hypertension, asthma, lung cancer [1], [2]. None of L. tetramera other species are used against guinea worm, fever, stomachache, expulsion of tapeworm, in dysentery, headache, skin infections, boils and wounds [1].

Previously isolated classes of constituents.

A. scholaris: alkaloids, terpenoids [1], [3]. None from L. tetramera.

Tested material.

A. scholaris: The MeOH Soxhlet extracts of dried plant material (leaves, stem bark, root bark; yields: 9.1, 8.8 and 13.4%, respectively) were partitioned with petrol (P) (60–80 °C), CH2Cl2 (D), EtOAc (E) and butanol (B). Yields (%) and positive tests on phytochemical screening [4]. Leaves: P (2.2; alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, triterpenoids), D (1.4; alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids), E (0.3; alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins), B (3.5; flavonoids, saponins,

Studied activity.

Antimicrobial activity by disk diffusion method [5], [6].

Used micro-organisms.

Bacteria, protozoan (listed in Table 1) and fungi (Aspergillus niger, A. rubrum, A. versicolor, A. vitis, Candida albican, C. tropicalis, Cladosporium cladosporiods, Penicillium notatum, Trychophyton mentagrophytes, T. tronsurum) were obtained from the stock cultures of the Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Applied Sciences, Lae.

Results.

Antibacterial activity of A. scholaris reported in Table 1 and L. tetramera given in Table 2. None of the fractions were active against the moulds tested.

Conclusions.

Twenty-five bacteria, a protozoan and eleven fungi were screened using crude methanolic extracts and their subsequent partitioning (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol) of the leaves, stem and root barks of Alstonia scholaris and Leea tetramera. As compared to crude extracts, fractionation significantly improved the activity. The butanol fractions were particularly good in all parts of A. scholaris and in the root bark of L. tetramera. None of the fractions were active against the

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr J. Simaga of Forestry Department, for the identification of the plants. Alstonia scholaris and Leea tetramera were recommended by Mr Aubeta Kairo, a herbalist and taxanomist of Bulolo.

References (6)

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    Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea, part I

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  • A. Varshney et al.

    Ancient Sci Life

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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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