Abstract
Predominantly spread in West Tropical Africa, the shrub Salacia senegalensis (Lam.) DC. is known because of its medicinal properties, the leaves being used in the treatment of skin diseases. Prompted by the ethnomedicinal use, a hydroethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of the plant was screened against a panel of microbial strains, the majority of which involved in superficial infections. The extract was found to be active against the dermatophytes Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. Notable results were also recorded regarding the attenuation of the inflammatory response, namely the inhibitory effects observed against soybean 5-lipoxygenase (IC50 = 71.14 μg mL−1), no interference being recorded in the cellular viability of RAW 264.7 macrophages and NO levels. Relevantly, the extract did not lead to detrimental effects against the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT, at concentrations displaying antidermatophytic and anti-inflammatory effects. Flavonoid profiling of S. senegalensis leaves was achieved for the first time, allowing the identification and quantitation of myricitrin, three 3-O-substituted quercetin derivatives, and three other flavonoid derivatives, which may contribute, at least partially, to the observed antidermatophytic and anti-inflammatory effects. In the current study, the plant S. senegalensis is assessed concerning its antidermatophytic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Highlights
As part of our ongoing research program on plants from the Afrotropical realm [1,2,3], the antimicrobial properties of Salacia senegalensis (Lam.) DC. were investigated; this involved being subjected to a phytochemical study
Comparison with authentic substances did not allow us to identify any of the previously reported phenolic acids on the hydroethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of S. senegalensis under study
This paper describes for the first time the flavonoid profile of S. senegalensis, demonstrating the occurrence of myricitrin and quercetin derivatives, known for their antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties
Summary
As part of our ongoing research program on plants from the Afrotropical realm [1,2,3], the antimicrobial properties of Salacia senegalensis (Lam.) DC. were investigated; this involved being subjected to a phytochemical study. Known for its antimalarial effects, extracts from the leaves are reported to be used in the treatment of skin malignancies in Guinea and Nigeria [5,6,7]. Prior meta-analyses demonstrated a higher hit rate for antifungal activity with plants recorded for their ethnomedicinal use in the treatment of skin infections with an obvious pathological expression, in comparison with “random” collection [8]. A hydroethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of S. senegalesis was selected and evaluated for its efficacy against a panel of fungi responsible for superficial infections. As a result of their high incidence, the panel included fungal strains involved in systemic infections and the bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli
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