Allelopathic effect of extracts from Panax notoginseng mono-cropped soil on its root rot pathogens

In the Philippines,Cycasspp. are found in Luzon Island particularly in Pampanga, Batangas, Bataan and Isabela provinces.. In this study, the bioactive potentials of the crude methanolic, ethanolic, ethyl acetate and chloroform leaf extracts ofCycas riuminianaPorte ex Regel were investigated. Based on the results of the four solvents used, the best extraction solvent for the phytochemicals is ethanol, followed by methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform. The ethanolic and methanolic leaf extracts showed comparable antioxidant activity. The chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts also have comparable antioxidant activity but significantly lower than both methanolic and ethanolic extracts. However the greatest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the ethyl acetate extract, followed by chloroform, methanolic and ethanolic extracts. The variation and similarity in the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the different extracts can be attributed to different mechanisms of interactions, namely, independent joint action, additive, synergistic, competitive or antagonistic interactions, among the bioactive compounds present in the crude extracts. Further studies are needed to elucidate the structure of the different phytochemicals present in the leaf extracts of Arayat Pitogo (C. riuminianaPorte ex Regel) and the specific mechanisms of interaction among these phytochemicals. SUMMARY The extracts were tested for the presence (trace, moderate or abundant amounts) of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, alkaloids, sterols and glycosides. The ethanolic extract was positive for all phytochemicals screened with sterols, flavonoids, glycosides and tannins being abundant, alkaloids being moderate and triterpenes and saponins in trace amounts. The methanolic extract was also positive for all constituents but in trace amounts, except for flavonoids which were abundant. The ethyl acetate extract contained abundant sterols, moderate alkaloids and trace amounts of saponins, glycosides and tannins. Finally, the chloroform extract contained abundant sterols, and trace amounts of alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. The radical scavenging assay revealed that the highest percent inhibition was obtained for the ethanolic leaf extract (60.53±0.7801%), followed by methanolic extract (59.92±3.160%), chloroform extract (50.17±4.779%) and ethyl acetate extract (47.25±3.759%). In terms of antibacterial activity, the ethyl acetate extract registered the highest inhibition against the three test organisms, namely,Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilisandEscherichia coli. The chloroform extract inhibitedS. aureusandB. subtilis. The methanol extract inhibitedS. aureusonly. Finally, the ethanolic extract failed to inhibit any of the test organisms despite its abundant phytochemicals and high antioxidant activity. In terms of antifungal activity, the different extracts inhibitedCandida albicanswith the ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts showing a high degree of inhibition followed by the methanolic and ethanolic extracts. However, none of the extracts showed any bioactivity againstAspergillus niger.

Dear Editor: Pergularia daemia Forsk (Asclepiadaceae) is a perennial twining herb commonly known as veliparuthi in Tamil. The plant has anthelmintic, laxative, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory activities[1]. The pharmacological properties of this plant come from bioactive phytochemicals such as alkaloids, triterpenes, saponins and flavonoids. Phytochemically, the plant has been investigated for the presence of cardenolides, alkaloids, saponins and steroidal compounds[2]. In the present study, we developed a rapid method for identification and quantitative determination of putative phyto compounds in the crude extracts of ethyl acetate and methanol from whole plant of Pergularia daemia. Matured Pergularia daemia plant was collected between August and December, 2013 from the river bank of Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu, India. The plant was identified and voucher specimen (ACC: 196) was deposited in the herbarium of Department of Botany, Annamalai University. The shade dried plant materials (root, stem, leaves, flower and bark) of Pergularia daemia of about 1,000 g were subjected for size reduction to coarse powder, which was defatted by using petroleum ether (60–80°C) and then extracted with methanol and ethyl acetate using Soxhlet apparatus for about 72 hours at 40°C. The sediment was then filtered with Whatman No. 1 filter paper[3]. Both ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of Pergularia daemia were further concentrated under vacuum using rotary vacuum evaporator (Buchi R-V120, Switzerland) at 40°C and then reconstituted in dimethyl sulfoxide and stored at 4°C for further use. The percentage yield of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were found to be 4.5 % (w/w) and 8.1% (w/w), respectively. Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, tannins and carbohydrates in ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of whole plant of Pergularia daemia. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) identified a number of compounds from GC fractions of the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Pergularia daemia. The results revealed that the presence of 15 different compounds from ethyl acetate extract viz., (2S,3S)-(-)-3-propyloxiranemethanol, 4-heptanol, 3-methyl-, 1-pentanol, 4-methyl-2-propyl-, 2-decanynoic acid, dichloroacetic acid, 2,2-dimethylpropyl ester, cyclopentane undecanoic acid, 1-iodo-2-methylundecane, octadecane, 6-methyl-, heptacosane, methoxyacetic acid, 3-tetradecyl ester, 2(1H)naphthalenone, 3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-4,8a-dimethyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)-, 2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, (Z,E)-, azulene, 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethenyl)-, [1S-(1a′,7a′,8aa′)]-(e-guaiene), methoprene, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, phenyl methyl ester (Table 1) and 18 different phyto compounds from methanol extract viz 8-methyl-6-nonenoic acid, vitamin D3, n-hexadecanoic acid, 4-trifluoro acetoxypentadecane, undec-10-ynoic acid, 2-cyclopentene-1-undecanoic acid, (+)-,8-nonynoic acid, didodecyl phthalate, 4-nonene, 5-nitro-,cis-Z-a′-bisabolene epoxide, 1b,5,5,6a-tetramethyl-octahydro-1-oxa-cyclopropa[a]inden-6-one, 1-naphthalenepropanol, a′-ethyldecahydro-5-(hydroxymethyl)-a′,5,8a-trimethyl-2-methylene [1S[1a′(S*), 4aa′, 5a′, 8aa′]]-, 1,6,10-dodecatrien-3-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-,5a′-androstan-16-one, cyclic ethylene mercaptole, 2(1H)naphthalenone, 3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-4,8a-dimethyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)-, azulene, 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethenyl)-,[1S-(1a′,7a′,8aa′)]-(e-guaiene), methoprene, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, and phenylmethyl ester (Table 2) were identified. Table 1 Phytoconstituents identified in ethyl acetate extract of Pergularia daemia. using GC-MS Table 2 Phytoconstituents in methanol extract of Pergularia daemia. using GC-MS analysis The major compounds such as didodecyl phthalate, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, phenylmethyl ester, n-hexadecanoic acid, heptacosane, azulene, 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethenyl)-, [1- methylethenyl)-, 2(1H) Naphthalenone, 3,5,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-4,8a-dimethyl-6-(1-methylethenyl)- and 1-iodo-2-methylundecane present in both extracts of this plant exert various biological activities (Table 3). Table 3 Pharmacological applications of major compounds present in Pergularia daemia Phytochemical characterization of Pergularia daemia explored the presence of phenolics and terpenoids in ethyl acetate and methanol extracts, which may have an important role in maintaining good health due to their antioxidant activity. Moreover, our findings explored that the presence of biologically important active principles were highly accumulated in methanol extract when compared to ethyl acetate extract. It could be concluded that the choice of the solvent is an important criteria to retrieving more active substances. Further investigations on isolation of active principles from this plant and their possible chemopreventive mechanisms in oral carcinogenesis is currently under progress in our laboratory. We are grateful the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT), Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India, to make available resources during this study and acknowledge the financial support of Department of Science and Technology – Science and Engineering Research Board (DST-SERB) New Delhi, India.

In this study, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of Bersama abyssinica (Melianthaceae) stem bark were screened for enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant properties. The water extract possessed the highest concentration of phenols (230.83 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract), while the methanol extract was rich in flavonoids (75.82 mg rutin equivalent/g extract), and the ethyl acetate extract possessed the highest amount of saponins (97.37 mg quillaja equivalent/g). The aim of this study was to investigate the antiproliferative effects against the human colon cancer HCT116 cell line challenged with serotonin (5-HT) as a stimulating-proliferation factor. The level of HCT116 cell-deriving pool of kynurenic acid (KA) was also assessed. The UHPLC results confirmed the presence of 58, 68, and 63 compounds in the ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts, respectively. Mangiferin, vitexin and its isomer isovitexin were tentatively identified in all extracts and KA (m/z 190.05042 [M−H]+) was also tentatively identified in the methanol and water extracts. The methanol extract (1464.08 mg Trolox equivalent [TE]/g extract) showed the highest activity in the CUPRAC assay, whereas the water extract (1063.70 mg TE/g extract) showed the highest activity with the FRAP technique. The ethyl acetate extract was the most active acetylcholinesterase (4.43 mg galantamine equivalent/g extract) and α-glucosidase (mmol acarbose equivalent /g extract) inhibitor. The water extract was able to inhibit 5-HT-stimulated viability of HCT116 cells, and blunt 5-HT-induced reduction of cell-deriving KA. The scientific data generated in this study provide baseline data regarding the biological properties of B. abyssinica stem bark, highlighting its potential use for the development of new pharmaceutic and cosmetic agents.

Marrubium vulgare (Lamiaceae) is frequently used in traditional medicine to treat many illnesses from ancient times. Its beneficial effects include antibacterial, antioedematogenic, and analgesic activities. This study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of organic and aqueous extracts of the leaves, the flowers, the stems, and the roots of Marrubium vulgare. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as the antioxidant and the anti-inflammatory effects of methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts have been investigated by using different in-vitro methods. It was found that the ethyl acetate extract from Marrubium vulgare stems had the highest total phenolic content, while the ethyl acetate extract from the leaves yielded a high concentration of flavonoids. The ethyl acetate extract from the stems exhibited the highest activity in scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), as well as in protecting erythrocytes. The leaves aqueous extract exhibited the highest ferrous chelating activity and its methanolic extract was found to be the strongest inhibitor of lipid peroxidation in β-carotene bleaching assay. The leaves chloroform extracts as well as the flowers methanol, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts were found to decrease the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) cytokine levels in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the flowers methanolic extract and the leaves methanol, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts decreased the interleukin-1 beta (IL- 1β) release. It was also found that the methanol extract from the flowers and the chloroform extract from the stems of Marrubium vulgare inhibited interleukin-8 (IL-8) release. This study provides a scientific basis for the traditional use of Marrubium vulgare as an anti-inflammatory agent and for the plant to be considered as an important resource of natural antioxidants.

A broad-spectrum biological activities of Heracleum humile extracts: A first report of the antiviral, anti-cancer and chemical properties

Lotus aegaeus (Gris.) Boiss and Iberis sempervirens L.: Chemical fingerprints, antioxidant potential, and inhibition activities and docking on key enzymes linked to global health problems

The white champaca (Magnolia alba) plant has been reported possess antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activities of n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanolic Magnolia alba flower extracts on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, we also determined the secondary metabolites of the extracts by the phytochemical screening assay. The antibacterial activity of the Magnolia alba flower extracts was determined by the Kirby-Bauer diffusion method. The phytochemical screening assay showed that n-hexane extract contained of flavonoids, terpenoids, and steroid, while the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts contains of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and steroid. The antibacterial activity of the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanolic Magnolia alba flower extracts was determined at four different concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 50%. Results indicated that n-hexane extract had no activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. Meanwhile, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts had antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. The diameter zones of inhibition exhibited by the ethyl acetate extract against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus ranged between 10.45 - 21.03 mm and 10.26 - 26.13 mm respectively. Meanwhile, the diameter zones of inhibition exhibited by the methanolic extract against Staphylococcus epidermidis ranged between 11.96 - 18.01 mm and against Staphylococcus aureus ranged between 7.23 - 13.9 mm. In conclusion, the ethyl acetate Magnolia alba flower extracts gave higher antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus.

The authors have recently investigated the chemical components and bioactivity of fungus comb from Macrotermes gilvus Hagen mounds. The ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of the fungus comb contained active compounds which are preventing the growth of Aspergillus foeti-dus, one of the most economically important wood-staining fungi in Indonesia. In this present study, the bioactivity of the fungus comb extracts was examined against the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune Fr. For the purpose of generating a realistic in-service type of environment, the extracts were evaluated according to modified EN-113 after impregnated into wood samples by the vacuum-pressure method, following in-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test. The results showed that ethyl acetate extract at concentrations ranging from 2 to 6% and methanol extract at a concentration of 6% presented high bioactivity against S. commune. This result was established through optical microscopy images, which demonstrated the absence of fungal mycelia in the vessels of wood samples treated with EtOAc extract at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6%, as well as MeOH extract with a concentration of 6%. The toxic values of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were determined to be 6.17% and 7.72%, respectively. Based on UPLC-HRMS analysis, azelaic acid, and erucamide were discovered as the dominant components in ethyl acetate extracts, which are anticipated to be the most active compounds. It appears that ethyl acetate extract, as well as methanol extract, can be considered as novel preservative sources for controlling wood-decaying fungi.

The main aim of this study was to determine Total Phenolic Content, Total Flavonoid Content, terpenoid content, steroid content and analyze the antioxidant activity of different leaf extracts of Entada rheedii. Correlation between antioxidant activities and total phenolic content, total flavonoids content, terpenoid content and steroid content were also analyzed. The total phenolic content in E. rheedii hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous leaf extracts were found to be 10.16 mg GAE/g, 24.73 mg GAE/g, 26.11 mg GAE/g, and 24.85 mg GAE/g sample dry weight respectively. The Total flavonoid content of E. rheedii hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous leaf extracts was found to be 8.433 mg QE/g, 8.730 mg QE/g, 8.607 mg QE/g, and 8.545 mg QE/g respectively. Hexane extract showed the highest steroid content at 32.75 g/mL, followed by ethyl acetate extract at 31.37 g/mL. The methanol extract and aqueous extract had the lowest steroid content at 22.2 g/mL and 21.21 g/mL, respectively. Terpenoid content was the highest in hexane extract with 62 mg/100 mg of dry extract, followed by the ethyl acetate extract with 45 mg/100 mg dry extract. The total content of terpenoids in the methanol extract was 25 mg/100 mg dry extract and the total content of terpenoids was lowest in the aqueous extract with 18 mg/100 mg dry extract. In 1-1-diphenyl- 2-picryl hydrazine Free Radical Scavenging (DPPH) Assay, the methanol extract displayed the highest antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 173.581 μg/mL while the hexane extract showed the lowest activity; with IC50 value of 389.13 μg/mL. Reducing power assay was evaluated and aqueous extract was shown to possess the highest reducing power. Evaluation of total antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdenum assay indicated that methanol extract had the highest antioxidant capacity. Significant correlations were also found between Total Phenol Content, Total flavonoid Content, and antioxidant activities of different leaf extracts of Entada rheedii.

Highlight Research Extract N-hexane of salina contains alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, and phenols Extract Ethyl Acetate of salina contains alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, phenols, flavonoid, and saponins Extract Methanol of salina contains alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, phenols, flavonoid, and saponins 24- hours LC50 value of the n-hexane extract salina was 276 ppm, the ethyl acetate extract was 673 ppm and the methanol extract was 811 ppm. All of the three extracts were included in toxic category Abstract Microalgae are single celled microorganisms as the primary producers in the water food cycle. Microalgae bioactive compounds was estimated to be 10 times more diverse than compounds produced by land plants. Microalgae use nutrients more efficiently to grow, metabolize, and produce chemical compounds. Dunaliella salina is a type of chlorophyte microalgae with a lot of potential to be used in various fields. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical compound content and the value of lethal toxicity (24-hour LC50) in microalgae D. salina extract with different solvents. The multistage maceration method uses n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol to extract samples. Phytochemical screening uses reagents according to the content of secondary metabolites. The Brine Shrimp Lethality Test method is used to test toxicity. The extracts were tested by using 10 Artemia salina against five concentrations, namely 0, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ppm. Toxicity data were processed through probit analysis to get the 24-hour LC50 value. The results showed that alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, and phenols were found in the methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extracts. Saponin were found in the methanolic extracts. Flavonoid were found in the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. The 24-hour LC50 value of the n-hexane extract was 276 ppm, the methanol extract was 811 ppm, and ethyl acetate extract was 673 ppm. The three extracts were included in toxic category. Extracts of microalgae D. salina have plenty secondary metabolite, that can be used in various fields and holds the potential as an anticancer.

Alchornea cordifolia (Schumach. & Thonn.) Müll. Arg. is a well-known African medicinal plant traditionally used for various healing purposes. In the present study, methanolic, ethyl acetate and infusion extracts of A. cordifolia leaves were studied for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents and screened for their chemical composition. Moreover, the enzyme (acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterases, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase) inhibitory and cytotoxicity activities on HepG2: human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, B16 4A5: murine melanoma cells, and S17: murine bone marrow (normal) cells of extracts were evaluated. Finally, components-targets and docking analyzes were conducted with the aim to unravel the putative mechanisms underlying the observed bio-pharmacological effects. Interestingly, the infusion and methanolic extracts showed significantly higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents compared with the ethyl acetate extract (TPC: 120.38–213.12 mg GAE/g and TFC: 9.66–57.18 mg RE/g). Besides, the methanolic extracts followed by the infusion extracts were revealed to contain a higher number of compounds (84 and 74 compounds, respectively), while only 64 compounds were observed for the ethyl acetate extract. Gallic acid, ellagic acid, shikimic acid, rutin, quercetin, myricetin, vitexin, quercitrin, kaempferol, and naringenin were among the compounds that were commonly identified in all the studied extracts. Additionally, the methanolic and infusion extracts displayed higher antioxidant capacity than ethyl acetate extract in all assays performed. In ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays, the methanol extract (500.38 mg TE/g for DPPH and 900.64 mg TE/g for ABTS) exhibited the best ability, followed by the water and ethyl acetate extracts. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited differential enzyme inhibitory profiles. In particular, the methanolic and infusion extracts showed better cytotoxic selectivity activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Overall, this study demonstrated A cordifolia to be a species worthy of further investigations, given its richness in bioactive phytochemicals and wide potentialities for antioxidants and pharmacological agents.

Cannabis sativa L. is used as medicine and narcotic in Lesotho. Phytochemical composition and total phenolics content (TPC) for hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of aerial parts of C. sativa were determined. Ethyl acetate extract (0.1875, 0.375 and 0.75 mg mL-1) and methanol extract (0.75, 1.5 and 3.0 mg mL-1) were evaluated for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and modulation of cyclophosphamide (CP, 1.25 mg mL-1)- and ethylmethane sulphonate (EMS, 0.25 mg mL-1)-induced genotoxicity using Allium cepa root meristem assay. CP or EMS did not reduce mitotic index (MI) of cells, hence not cytotoxic when compared with negative control using the t-test (p>0.05), but genotoxic. Both extracts were genotoxic with methanol extract also being cytotoxic. Genotoxicity was the number of aberrant cells per 100 mitotic cells. Modulatory effect (ME) was obtained by comparing mutagen-induced genotoxicity with mixture-induced genotoxicity and expressed as the number of units of mutagen-induced genotoxicity that equalled the mixture-induced genotoxicity. ME was either positive or negative and significant only if ME = ≥ 2. Both extracts were genotoxic with methanol extract also being cytotoxic. Aberrations observed were sticky chromosomes, c-metaphase, anaphase and telophase bridges, chromosome fragments and laggards. Mixture of methanol extract with CP or EMS was more genotoxic (+ME range = 1.61-11.89) than the mutagen or extract alone which suggested synergistic interaction. Mixture of ethyl acetate extract with CP induced insignificant +ME. Mixture of ethylacetate extract with EMS was significantly more genotoxic (+ME = 2.20) than EMS only at high extract concentration. The methanol and ethylacetate extracts of C. sativa were not anti-genotoxic to CP- or EMS- induced genotoxicity. TPCs for hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were 39831.46, 2544.94, 2438.20 and 56601.12 mg GAE/gram dry weight respectively. The differences in the cytotoxicity and MEs of the extracts were attributed to differences in phytochemical composition of extracts.

Allamanda leaf extracts were made by three organic solvents hexane, methanol and ethyl acetate having different polarities. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) of the refluxing extracts showed each of them contained considerable number of different compounds. By observing Rf value of these extracts it was confirmed that the compounds present in different extracts are not same and two of them (methanol and ethyl acetate) extracts were distilled to remove solvent for bioactivity test. In growth inhibition test, methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of allamanda inhibited mycelial growth of Phomopsis vexans. Ethyl acetate extract at 0.2% and 0.3% concentration inhibited 100% mycelial growth of Phomopsis vexans while methanol extract was not effective in suppressing growth rather it arrested temporarily the growth of Phomopsis vexans. Eggplant seeds treated with ethyl acetate extract in blotter produced higher percentage of seed germination (85.00%) and healthy seedlings (88.36%) and lower percentage of dead seed (15.00%), and rotten seed (5.89%) than those treated with methanol extract. In most cases, seed quality was improved with the increasing of concentration of ethyl acetate extract. It may be summarized that higher amount of antifungal compounds were present in ethyl acetate extract in purified form where methanol also have some compounds that inhibited partially growth of Phomopsis vexans.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v5i2.14814 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(2): 199-203 2012

Phytochemical analysis, hypotensive effect and antioxidant properties of Myrtus communis L. growing in Algeria

Background: Kigelia africana is a common component of the pharmacopeia's of multiple African groupings which inhabit the areas in which it grows. Amongst these groups there is a myriad of medicinal uses in the treatment of a wide variety of bacterial, fungal and protozoal infections, as well as in the treatment of cancers. This study was undertaken to test K. africana fruit extracts for the ability to inhibit microbial and cancer cell growth, and thus to validate traditional African medicinal usage of this plant in treating a variety of diseases. Materials and Methods: K. africana fruit powder was extracted and tested for antimicrobial activity using modified disc diffusion and MIC methods. Inhibitory activity against the gastrointestinal protozoal parasite Giardia duodenalis and against CaCo2 and HeLa cancer cell lines was evaluated using colorimetric cell proliferation assays. Toxicity was evaluated using an Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: The methanol, water and ethyl acetate K. africana fruit extracts displayed potent antibacterial activity. The methanol and water extracts displayed the broadest specificity, inhibiting the growth of 12 of the 18 bacteria tested (67 %) and 11 of the 18 bacteria tested (61 %) respectively. The ethyl acetate extract also displayed antibacterial activity, inhibiting the growth of 4 (22 %) of the 18 bacteria tested. These extracts were approximately equally effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, generally inhibiting the growth of 60-70 % of the bacteria tested. The methanol, water and ethyl acetate extracts also displayed broad spectrum antifungal activity, each inhibiting the growth of 3 of the 4 fungal species tested (75 %), including an ampicillin strain of A. niger. The methanol, water and ethyl acetate extracts also inhibited between 55 and 70 % of the growth of the gastrointestinal parasite Giardia duodenalis. These extracts also proved effective at blocking the proliferation of the colorectal cancer cell line CaCo2 to between 37 and 55 % of the untreated cell growth. The methanol extract also inhibited HeLa cervical cancer cell growth, albeit to a lesser extent (81 % of the untreated control growth), whilst the chloroform and hexane extracts stimulated HeLa cell proliferation. With the exception of the water extract, all extracts were non-toxic or of low toxicity. Conclusion: These studies validate traditional African therapeutic usage of K. africana in the treatment of several bacterial, fungal and protozoal illnesses and some cancers.