Screening of some Tanzanian medicinal plants from Bunda district for antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 119; no. 1; pp. 58 - 66
• Main Authors: Maregesi, Sheila Mgole, Pieters, Luc, Ngassapa, Olipa David, Apers, Sandra, Vingerhoets, Rita, Cos, Paul, Berghe, Dirk A. Vanden, Vlietinck, Arnold J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 02-09-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial; Antifungal; Antifungal Agents - administration & dosage; Antifungal Agents - isolation & purification; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Antiviral; Antiviral Agents - administration & dosage; Antiviral Agents - isolation & purification; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Aspergillus niger; Bacillus cereus; Biological and medical sciences; Bunda; Candida albicans; Combretum; Escherichia coli; Ficus; General pharmacology; Herpes simplex virus 1; Humans; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Medical sciences; Medicinal plants; Medicine, African Traditional; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Salmonella typhimurium; Screening; Staphylococcus aureus; Tanzania; Vesicular stomatitis virus; Tanzania; Medicinal plants; Bunda; Screening; Antifungal; Tanzania; Antiviral; Antibacterial; Antifungal agent; Pharmacognosy; Plant origin; Antibacterial agent; Screening;Medicinal plants;Antibacterial;Antifungal;Antiviral;Bunda;Tanzania; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.05.033

Extracts from 50 plant parts obtained from 39 different plants belonging to 22 families used to treat infectious diseases in Bunda district, Tanzania, were screened against twelve microorganisms, including the bacteria
Bacillus cereus,
Staphylococcus aureus,
Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Klebsiella pneumoniae and
Salmonella typhimurium, the fungi
Aspergillus niger,
Candida albicans, and the viruses
Herpes Simplex Virus type 1,
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus T2,
Coxsackie B2 and
Semliki Forest A7. The highest activity was obtained for the
n-hexane extract of
Elaeodendron schlechteranum root bark against the Gram-positive bacteria
Bacillus cereus (MIC 0.97
μg/ml and MBC 1.95
μg/ml) and
Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 3.90
μg/ml and MBC 31.25
μg/ml). Gram-negative bacteria were less sensitive. Only
Balanites aegyptiaca stem bark exhibited a high antifungal activity against
Candida albicans (MIC 125
μg/ml and MFC 250
μg/ml). Extracts from four plants;
Lannea schweinfurthii,
Combretum adenogonium,
Ficus sycomorus and
Terminalia mollis showed strong antiviral activity with RF values of 10
3 and 10
4 against
Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 at various concentrations. Our results support, at least in part, the use of most plants as claimed by traditional healers/informants especially against the Gram-positive bacteria
Bacillus cereus and
Staphylococcus aureus.