Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Some Yemeni Medicinal Plants

Ramzi A A Mothana,Ulrike Lindequist,Salah A A Abdo,Sama A Z Alaghbari,Faisal M N Althawab,Sidgi Hasson

doi:10.1093/ecam/nen004

Abstract

The traditional medicine still plays an important role in the primary health care in Yemen. The current study represents the investigation of 16 selected plants, which were collected from different localities of Yemen. The plants were dried and extracted with two different solvents (methanol and hot water) to yield 34 crude extracts. The obtained extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria, one yeast species and three multiresistant Staphylococcus strains using agar diffusion method, for their antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical method and for their cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay. In addition, a phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts was done. Antibacterial activity was shown only against Gram-positive bacteria, among them multiresistant bacteria. The highest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the methanolic extracts of Acalypha fruticosa, Centaurea pseudosinaica, Dodonaea viscosa, Jatropha variegata, Lippia citriodora, Plectranthus hadiensis, Tragia pungens and Verbascum bottae. Six methanolic extracts especially those of A. fruticosa, Actiniopteris semiflabellata, D. viscosa, P. hadiensis, T. pungens and V. bottae showed high free radical scavenging activity. Moreover, remarkable cytotoxic activity against FL-cells was found for the methanolic extracts of A. fruticosa, Iris albicans, L. citriodora and T. pungens. The phytochemical screening demonstrated the presence of different types of compounds like flavonoids, terpenoids and others, which could be responsible for the obtained activities.

Highlights

Plant-derived drugs remain an important resource, especially in developing countries, to combat serious diseases
The most pronounced activity with inhibition zones more than 14 mm was shown by the methanolic extracts of Acalypha fruticosa, Dodonaea viscosa, Jatropha variegata, Lippia citriodora, Plectranthus hadiensis and Tragia pungens (Table 2)
The antibacterial effect of A. fruticosa was investigated among some Indian medicinal plants [24]

Summary

Introduction

Plant-derived drugs remain an important resource, especially in developing countries, to combat serious diseases. 60–80% of the world’s population still relies on traditional medicines for the treatment of common illnesses [1,2]. Traditional remedies have a long-standing history in many locations in Yemen and Activities and screening of Yemeni medicinal plant. 16 plants have been determined for their antibacterial and antifungal activity by means of the agar diffusion method, antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical method and cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay. A phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts was performed. The activities have been selected because of their great medicinal relevance. Infections have increased to a great extent and resistance against antibiotics becomes an ever-increasing therapeutic problem [12]. Because natural products of higher plants may give a new source of antimicrobial agents, there are many research groups that are engaged in medicinal plants research [13,14,15]

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Conclusion