Abstract
Peristrophe bicalyculata (Retz) Nees (Acanthaceae) or 'The Goddess of Mercy' and Borreria verticillata (L.) G.F.W. Mey., (Rubiaceae), or 'Irawo-Ile' (Yoruba, South-west, Nigeria), are annual herbs, which are poorly exploited. The volatile oils obtained by hydrodistillation in an all glass Clevenger-type apparatus from the plant samples have been investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). With respect to the oil of P. bicalyculata, beta-caryophyllene (33.9%), alpha-zingiberene (10.4%), germacrene D and globulol (5.0%) were the compounds occurring in abundance. The oil of B. verticillata had an abundance of phytol (56.3%) and 1, 8-cineole (20.4%), with sizeable proportions of alpha-pinene (7.1%) and p-cymene (4.0%). In addition, the volatile oils displayed promising in-vitro antimicrobial activity against the tested micro-organisms, (MIC 12.5-22.3 microg/mL), while only the oil of P. bicalyculata displayed in-vitro cytotoxicity to MCF-7 (human breast tumor) and MDA-MB-468 (human breast tumor) cells. The present investigation may be the first of its kind for the evaluation of the volatile oil constituents of the studied plants.
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