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Terminalia genus as source of antimicrobial agents
Abstract
Species of Terminalia L. genus (Combretaceae) were worldwide used in traditional medicine to treat different kind of diseases. In Africa, 30 Terminalia species were described and the traditional uses of most of it as antimicrobial agents were reported by different authors. In the present work a summary of the principal studies and results concerning the evaluation of the potential of 11 Terminalia species from Africa, America, Asia and Oceania as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents or source of these will be presented. In detail, results obtained by our team concerning the antimicrobial activity of Terminalia macroptera Guill & Perr., a tree widely distributed in the savannahs and woodlands of Tropical Africa and used in Guinea-Bissau to treat infectious diarrhoeal diseases and venereal diseases, will be presented and discussed. Extracts of T. macroptera leaf and/or root have been found to be slight active against Candida albicans, and showing an interesting profile of activity against Campylobacter sp., Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Helicobacter pylori and HIV-1. Obtained results corroborate total or partially with the traditional usages of T. macroptera. Also referred are species like Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia bellerica and Terminalia chebula.
... These preliminary results lead to select some medicinal plants of Burkina faso flora for screening their anti-QS activity. Ethnobotanical data indicate that Balanites aegyptiaca and Terminalia macroptera are used for the treatment of respiratory tract diseases, skin diseases and wound [14,15]. In this study, these medecinal plants was investigated for its ability to interfere with the bacterial QS system. ...
... B. aegyptiaca and T. macroptera are used in traditional medicine to treat infectious diseases and have shown antimicrobial and antioxidant activities [15,18]. ...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa like many pathogen bacteria produces various virulence factors and form biofilm that
contribute to its pathogenicity and the growing resistance to antibiotics. The production of virulence factors in those multiresistant
bacteria is controlled by a mechanism of regulation termed quorum sensing. Interfering with this mechanism of
bacterial communication constitute a strategy to attenuate bacterial pathogenicity. Our study aimed to assess the ability of
Balanites aegyptiaca and Terminalia macroptera to interfere with the system of QS through inhibition of QS-controlled factors
production and the formation of biofilm. Methanol extracts of galls, stem bark of B. aegyptiaca, and stem bark of T.
macroptera were screened for anti-QS activity using Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and P. aeruginosa PAO1. At a subinhibitory
concentration of 100 μg/mL, galls and stem bark of B. aegyptiaca quenched the QS system by inhibiting violacein
production on C. violaceum CV026 and pyocyanin production on P. aeruginosa PAO1. The bark of T. macroptera reduced
significantly the production of violacein, pyocyanin and the formation of biofilm. Moreover, antioxidant activity of phenolic
compounds contributes to reduce the oxidative stress induced by pyocyanin. Thus, T. macroptera is a potential candidate for
the identification and isolation of news effective anti-QS compounds. This study introduces a possible validation for traditional
use of B. aegyptiaca and T. macroptera and constitutes a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of infections caused by
bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
... These preliminary results lead to select some medicinal plants of Burkina faso flora for screening their anti-QS activity. Ethnobotanical data indicate that Balanites aegyptiaca and Terminalia macroptera are used for the treatment of respiratory tract diseases, skin diseases and wound [14,15]. In this study, these medecinal plants was investigated for its ability to interfere with the bacterial QS system. ...
... B. aegyptiaca and T. macroptera are used in traditional medicine to treat infectious diseases and have shown antimicrobial and antioxidant activities [15,18]. ...
Many pathogenic bacteria produce virulence factors controlled by a mechanism of regulation named quorum sensing (QS). Inhibition of bacterial QS system is a more recent therapeutic approach to
counterbalance the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria. This study aimed to assess the abilities of methanol extract from Guiera senegalensis galls and its isolated compound methyl gallate to quench the quorum sensing system. Methanol extract from galls of G. senegalensis at the concentration of 100 µg/ml demonstrated significant inhibitory effect on pyocyanin and violacein production respectively in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Chromobacterium violaceum CV026. Colum chromatography and recycling High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) of methanol extract from galls of G. senegalensis led to the isolation of one active quorum quenching compound. Different spectroscopic methods (MS and NMR) were used to elucidate the structure of this isolated compound as being the methyl gallate (MG). Methyl gallate at the final concentration of 12.5 µg/ml demonstrated good anti-QS
activity by inhibiting violacein and pyocyanin production. Its low molecular weight and the capacity to interfere with the mechanism of QS make methyl gallate, an interesting candidate for development of
drugs as an alternative to antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance.
... The plant is distributed in tropical, sub-tropical and savannah regions of the world. The root and stem of the plant have reportedly shown efficient bactericidal action against Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (6,7,8). Mangifera indica L, commonly called mango (English) is a large evergreen tropical tree in the family Anacardiacea. ...
... Succinctly, none of the extracts showed bactericidal properties on any of the isolates. Table 3 (6,7,8,9). T. glaucescens has been studied to show considerable levels of activity against K. pneumoniae, E. coli and P. mirabilis (22,23,24), which is also validated in this study. ...
... It has been reported to exhibit antioxidative, hypocholesterolaemic (Chatha et al., 2014), antimutagenic, hypolipidemic (Subramaniam et al., 2011) and antibacterial effects (Morshed et al., 2011). Terminalia arjuna bark is rich in polyphenols including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids as well as tannins (20-24%) and is used for the therapy of fractures, asthma, ulcers and blood disorders (Silva and Serrano, 2015). It also contains bioactive components that are useful in hepatic, congenital and viral diseases (Saxena et al., 2007;Manna et al., 2009). ...
Terminalia arjuna bark extract based functional drinks along with control were prepared using 0.5% extract powder prepared after freeze drying of extracts. The physiochemical properties of the prepared drinks i.e. acidity, pH, Brix to acid ratio were affected significantly with the control and selected treatments and storage intervals while Brix was statistically unchanged. The sensorial properties i.e. taste, flavor, color and overall acceptability differed significantly with the treatments, however; mouthfeel and sweetness differed non-significantly. All the drinks were ranged as acceptable regarding sensory characteristics, while, drink having SFE got the highest score. Antioxidant potential of the drinks indicated significant variations for TPC, flavonoids, DPPH, ABTS and FRAP with non-significant variations with storage. Conclusively, different extraction techniques significantly affected the antioxidant potential and sensorial attributes of TA bark based functional drink
Introduction
Increasing rates of gonorrhoea infection have been reported, as well as growing antimicrobial resistance, indicating a potential public health crisis. Evidence suggests that some medicinal plants exert activity against resistant strains of distinct species of bacteria without response to conventional drug therapy. This paper aimed to produce exhaustive information about plant species and the corresponding medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gonorrhoea, and also identify those which those have been tested in vitro for antigonoccocal activity.
Methods
A comprehensive search of various databases and literature sources was conducted up to July 15th 2020 to identify relevant publications on medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Results
322 species, most belonging to one of 7 botanical families, mainly Leguminosae, but also Apocynaceae, Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae and Solanaceae were reported to be used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gonorrhoea. The leaf was the most frequent plant part used and decoction the most common traditional way of preparation of the traditional recipes. Only 56 of the medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for gonorrhoea infection had been tested for in vitro antigonoccocal activity. Most were from the African and Asian continents. Bersama engleriana bark, Guiera senegalensis leaf, Senna podocarpa root, Terminalia macroptera leaf and root, Rhodiola rosea root and Prunus serotina bark were some of the most active medicinal plants. Lignans, stilbenoids and anthraquinones were the most frequent classes of active compounds.
Conclusions
Findings confirm the interest in medicinal plants and isolated secondary metabolites for developing new potential antigonoccocal agents.
The present study was carried out to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) bark locally used as an anthelmintic. Lethal median concentration (LC50 values) of methanolic extract of T. arjuna bark in egg hatch and larval development tests against Haemonchus contortus ova and larva were found to be 645.65 and 467.74 μg mL-1, respectively. In adult motility assay, efficacy of the extract was evident by the mortality of H. contortus at different hours post exposure. In vivo results revealed maximum (87.3%) egg count percent reduction (ECR) in sheep treated with crude methanolic extract @ 3 g kg-1 body weight on day 11 post-treatment (PT). The data revealed dose-dependent anthelmintic activity both in the in vitro and in vivo studies, thus justifying its use in the traditional medicine system of Pakistan.
Plants are the major source of herbal medicines and the presence of secondary metabolites with many therapeutic activities. A major part of the total population in developing countries still uses traditional folk medicine since Vedic period. The herbal drugs popularity increased and used widespread. The research is still lagging behind to get the efficacy of plant derived medicines on microorganisms. The eight different medicinal plants (Nyctanthes arbortristis, Vitex negundo, Phyllanthus amarus, Adhatoda vasica, Hemidesmus indicus, Asparagus racemosus, Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia chebula) were used for phytochemical screening and to study their antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli Dk1 and Staphylococcus aureus MRS901. The screening for antibacterial activity of plant part extract was done by agar well diffusion method. The inhibitory effect was analyzed by calculating Zone of Inhibition (ZOI) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The phytochemical screening of bioactive compounds for presence or absence was done. The result showed the maximum ZOI by Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia chebula (ranges 9-13mm) in both aqueous and methanolic extract than by other plant extracts. The phytochemical screening of bioactive compounds showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides and steroids in aqueous and methanolic extract both. It is suggested that test plants have some antibacterial activity and could be applied on other bacterial strains other than E. coli and S. aureus.
An ethanol extract of Terminalia chebula fruit was studied for its antibacterial activity against clinically important standard reference bacterial strains. The antimicrobial susceptibility was screened using the disc diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the broth microdilution method. The results showed that it was active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The T. chebula fruit extract was highly effective against Salmonella typhi SSFP 4S, Staphylococcus epidermidis MTCC 3615, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 441 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The MIC was determined as 1 mg/ml for S. typhi. These results indicate that the T. chebula dry fruit possesses a potential broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and a search for the active compound is needed.
The present studies have been planned to evaluate ovicidal efficacy of Ziziphus mauritiana and Terminalia arjuna leaves. For this purpose, egg hatch test (EHT) was conducted on nematode ova to investigate the in vitro ovicidal effects of crude aqueous extract (CAE) and crude aqueous methanolic extracts (CAME) of the leaves of the plants. Lethal concentration 50 (LC50) values of CAE and CAME of Ziziphus mauritiana leaves were 0.1773 and 0.6778 while of Terminalia arjuna leaves were 1.502 and 3.002 respectively. This study shows that Ziziphus mauritiana and Terminalia arjuna leaves possess in vitro anthelmintic activity. The study also suggests further large scale pharmacological and toxicological studies for their use in veterinary medicine.
Acinetobacter baumannii is well-recognized as an important nosocomial pathogen, however, due to their intrinsic resistance to several antibiotics, treatment options are limited. Synergistic effects between antibiotics and medicinal plants, particularly their active components, have intensively been studied as alternative approaches.
Fifty-one ethanol extracts obtained from 44 different selected medicinal plant species were tested for resistance modifying agents (RMAs) of novobiocin against A. baumannii using growth inhibition assay.
At 250 μg/ml, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Punica granatum, Quisqualis indica, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, and Terminalia sp. that possessed low intrinsic antibacterial activity significantly enhanced the activity of novobiocin at 1 μg/ml (1/8xminimum inhibitory concentration) against this pathogen. Holarrhena antidysenterica at 7.8 μg/ml demonstrated remarkable resistant modifying ability against A. baumannii in combination with novobiocin. The phytochemical study revealed that constituents of this medicinal plant contain alkaloids, condensed tannins, and triterpenoids.
The use of Holarrhena antidysenterica in combination with novobiocin provides an effective alternative treatment for multidrug resistant A. baumannii infections.
Malaria is still a major public health problem. The biodiversity of the tropics is extremely rich and represents an invaluable source of novel bioactive molecules. For screening of this diversity more sensitive and economical in vitro methods are needed, Flora of Panama has been studied based on ethnomedical uses for discovering antimalarial compounds.
This review aims to provide an overview of in vitro screening methodologies for antimalarial drug discovery and to present results of this effort in Panama during the last quarter century.
A literature search in SciFinder and PubMed and original publications of Panamanian scientists was performed to gather all the information on antimalarial drug discovery from the Panamanian flora and in vitro screening methods.
A variety of colorimetric, staining, fluorometric, and mass spectrometry and radioactivity-based methods have been provided. The advantages and limitations of these methods are also discussed. Plants used in ethnomedicine for symptoms of malaria by three native Panamanian groups of Amerindians, Kuna, Ngöbe Buglé and Teribes are provided. Seven most active plants with IC(50) values < 10 μg/mL were identified Talisia nervosa Radlk. (Sapindaceae), Topobea parasitica Aubl.(Melastomataceae), Monochaetum myrtoideum Naudin (Melastomataceae), Bourreria spathulata (Miers) Hemsl.(Boraginaceae), Polygonum acuminatum Kunth (Polygonaceae), Clematis campestris A. St.-Hil. (Ranunculaceae) and Terminalia triflora (Griseb.) Lillo (Combretaceae). Thirty bioactive compounds belonging to a variety of chemical classes such as spermine and isoquinoline alkaloids, glycosylflavones, phenylethanoid glycosides, ecdysteroids, quercetin arabinofuranosides, clerodane-type diterpenoids, sipandinolid, galloylquercetin derivatives, gallates, oleamide and mangiferin derivatives.
Subcutaneous mycoses are chronic infections caused by slow growing environmental fungi. Latin American plants are used in folk medicine to treat these afflictions. Moreover, the potential of the rich Latin American biodiversity for this purpose has not been fully explored.
The aim of the study was to screen Latin American plant extracts against two species of subcutaneous fungi: Sporothrix schenckii and Fonsecaea pedrosoi.
One hundred ninety-five organic extracts from 151 Latin American plants were screened against two subcutaneous fungi by the agar dilution method at a concentration of 100 µg/mL, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of active extracts were determined. Positive (amphothericin B) and negative (50% ethanol) controls were used.
Twenty eight extracts showed activity at ≤100 µg/mL. Of these, four extracts from Gnaphalium gaudichaudianum DC (Asteraceae), Plumeria rubra L (Apocynaceae), Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth. (Bignoniaceae), and Trichostigma octandum (L.), H. Walter showed activity against F. pedrosoi at MIC 12.5 µg/mL; and, four extracts from Bourreria huanita (Lex.) Hemsl. (Boraginaceae), Phytolacca bogotensis Kunth (Phytolaccaceae), Monnina xalapensis Kunth (Polygalaceae) and Crataegus pubescens (C. Presl) C. Presl (Rosaceae) against S. schenckii. This is the first report on antifungal activity of the Latin American plants against these two subcutaneous fungi.
S. schenkii and F. pedrosoi were inhibited by B. huanita (MIC: 12.5 and 25 µg/mL), G. gaudichaudianum (MIC: 50 and 12.5 µg/mL) and T. triflora (MIC: 25 µg/mL).
Introduction and objective: The uses of traditional medicinal plants for primary health care have steadily increased worldwide in recent years. Triphala has been used in the traditional medicine for the treatment of variety of diseases and therefore it becomes immense to study the phytochemical compounds and antibacterial activities. Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of both Triphala and its individual components were used, to evaluate antimicrobial activity. Materials and methods: Phytochemical (phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid) and antibacterial activities of aqueous ethanolic extracts of Triphala and its individual components (Terminalia chebula, T. belerica and Emblica officinalis) were tested against several bacterial isolates. Isolates were recovered from urethral swabs, seminal fluid, urine, high vaginal swabs, skin swabs, blood, and sputum specimen of HIV infected patients. Results: Terminalia chebula has high phytochemical content followed by T. belerica and E. officinalis. In anti-bacterial activity, most of the bacterial isolates were inhibited by the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of T. chebula followed by T. belerica and E. officinalis in both disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. But as a whole, Triphala did not show antibacterial activity. MIC of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Triphala and its individual plant components were observed to vary from 0.1-100µg/ml.Conclusion: In conclusion, this study showed that both ethanolic and aqueous extract of Triphala has potent antibacterial action against the wide variety of bacterial isolates from the HIV infected patients.
Antimicrobial activities of the crude ethanolic extracts of five plants were screened against multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans. ATCC strains of Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus bovis, Pseudimonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans were also tested. The strains that showed resistance against the maximum number of antibiotics tested were selected for an antibacterial assay. The MDR strains were sensitive to the antimicrobial activity of Acacia nilotica, Syzygium aromaticum and Cinnamum zeylanicum, whereas they exhibited strong resistance to the extracts of Terminalia arjuna and Eucalyptus globulus. Community-acquired infections showed higher sensitivity than the nosocomial infections against these extracts. The most potent antimicrobial plant was A. nilotica (MIC range 9.75-313 microg/ml), whereas other crude plant extracts studied in this report were found to exhibit higher MIC values than A. nilotica against community acquired as well as nosocomial infection. This study concludes that A. nilotica, C. zeylanicum and S. aromaticum can be used against multidrug resistant microbes causing nosocomial and community acquired infections.
The screening of the antimicrobial activity of 33 medicinal plants from Senegal is reported. None of these plants showed activity against the gram-negative test bacteria and against Candida albicans. Extracts of Cnestis ferruginea and Voacanga africana showed strong activity against Aspergillus niger. The former plant was also active against dermatophytes. Twenty-five of the plants tested showed activity against gram-positive bacteria.
Extracts of 41 medicinal plants used in Egyptian folk medicine were screened for their inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase. The extracts of fruits of Phyllanthus emblica, Quercus pedunculata, Rumex cyprius, Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia horrida showed significant inhibitory activity with IC50 < or = 50 micrograms/ml. Through a bioassay guided-fractionation of the methanol extract of the fruit of P. emblica, putranjivain A (1) was isolated as a potent inhibitory substance with IC50 = 3.9 microM, together with 1,6-di-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (2), 1-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (3), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (4), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (5) and digallic acid (6). The inhibitory mode of action by 1, 2 and 6 was non-competitive with respect to the substrate but competitive with respect to a template-primer. Furthermore, the stereochemistry of 1 was established in this paper by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
The ethanolic extracts of twelve plants selected through ethnomedical survey in Guinea-Bissau were investigated for their in vitro antimicrobial properties over ten bacteria and Candida albicans, using agar diffusion and dilution methods. All the tested extracts showed some activity against at least one of the bacteria. Most of the extracts (79%) showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus and only one (Cryptolepis sanguinolenta) against Escherichia coli. Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Terminalia macroptera root extracts showed some activity against Candida albicans as well as showing an interesting profile of activity against most of the enteropathogen microorganisms. Inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus were localised on extract chromatograms by bioautographic techniques.
Thirty-seven plant organs, traditionally used as drugs, collected in Pakistan, were extracted with 70% acetone and analyzed for their total phenolics concentration and antioxidant potential. Seven extracts showed more than 85% inhibition of lipid peroxidation in vitro as compared with blank. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (IC50 = 233.6 microg/l +/- 28.3) was the strongest antioxidant in our test system. The IC50 results indicate that the extracts of Nymphaea lotus L. flowers, Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Delile beans, Terminalia belerica Roxb. fruits, and Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruits, brown) were stronger antioxidants than alpha-tocopherol, while Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruit coat), Terminalia chebula Retz. (fruits, black) and Ricinus communis L. leaves were weaker antioxidant extracts than alpha-tocopherol and BHT. Total phenolics concentration, expressed as gallic acid equivalents, showed close correlation with the antioxidant activity. High performance liquid chromatographic analysis with diode array detection at 280 nm, of the seven extracts indicated the presence of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonol aglycones and their glycosides as main phenolics compounds. This information, based on quick screening methods, enables us to proceed towards more detailed chemical and pharmacological understanding of these plant materials.
Triphla, a combination of three tropical fruits preparation comprised of equal parts of Terminalia chebula, Emblica officinalis and Terminalia bellirica, which gently promotes internal detoxification of all conditions of stagnation and improving digestion and assimilation. The aqueous extracts of fruits of these plants were prepared and antibacterial activities were tested by agar well diffusion method against two enteric bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The aqueous fruit extracts of all the three plants were found to be antibacterial to both the bacterial pathogens tested. The aqueous fruit extract of T. chebula showed maximum antibacterial activity followed by T. bellirica and E. officinalis .Thus it can be suggested that daily intake of Triphla may control enteric infections in human beings.
Quorum sensing is a control of bacterial gene expression in response to cell density. Several processes in pathogenesis of many medically-important bacteria are associated with quorum sensing. As quorum sensing controls bacterial virulence, the inhibition of quorum sensing is being considered as a novel strategy for antibacterial drug. This study investigated the effect of 44 Thai medicinal plant species on bacterial quorum sensing. Anti-quorum sensing activity was indicated by the inhibition of violacein pigment producing of biomonitor strain, Chromobacterium violaceum DMST 21761. Screening test by disc diffusion assay revealed that 9 plant extracts exhibited anti-quorum sensing activity including Cinnamomum bejolghota, Cinnamomum porrectum, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Punica granatum, Quercus infectoria, Quisqualis indica, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, and Terminalia sp. Flask incubation assay was used for quantifying the inhibitory activity. All extracts, except Q. infectoria, reduced violacein production but did not suppress the cell growth. Holarrhena antidysenterica, T. bellirica, and Terminalia sp. produced pronounced inhibitory activity. This finding may uncover the potential mode of action of these plants. Anti-quorum sensing property of these medicinal plants may play an important role as the antimicrobial activity for their efficacy in traditional use as medicines and this should not be overlooked.
Two new hydrolysable tannins, chebumeinin A (1) and chebumeinin B (2), together with eight known related compounds (3‒10), were isolated from the fruits of Terminalia chebula. The new compounds were structurally determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data and the known compounds characterized by comparing their spectroscopic data with literature values. All isolates were evaluated by an HCV protease inhibition assay, and some compounds were found to be potently active.
Extracts from different parts of Cassia sieberiana, Chamaechrista nigricans, Guiera senegalensis, Lippia chevalieri, Pavetta oblongifolia, Piliostigma thonningii, Senna podocarpa and Terminalia macroptera were examined for in vitro antibacterial activity. These species were collected in the Contúboel region (Guinea-Bissau) which were used by the traditional healer's of the Fulani ethny to treat several disorders including venereal diseases (Diniz, 1996). Fifteen plant extracts were tested against nine strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including penicillin and tetracycline resistant strains. All the extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against all the tested strains. Two of the most active extracts (from Guiera senegalensis leaves and Terminalia macroptera root) were partitioned with different solvents and tested for antiNeisseria gonorrhoeae activity.
Organisms noted: Cassia sieberiana DC., Chamaechrista nigricans (Vahl) Greene, Guiera senegalensis J. F. Gmel., Lippia chevalieri Moldenke, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pavetta oblongifolia (Hiern) Bremek., Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redhead, Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock, Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perro
The trihydroxylated triterpene acids arjunolic acid and asiatic acid were found in ether extracts of the woods of Terminalia brassii and of T. complanata. Asiatic acid has not previously been reported as a constituent of the genus Terminalia. A similar extract of T. impediens yielded the tetrahydroxy acid terminolic acid as the major constituent; this acid was also detected as a minor constituent of T. complanata. Terminolic acid, however, does not occur in glycosidic combination in Centella asiatica, as has been recently reported.
Twenty-eight extracts prepared from plants used in African traditional medicine and from Rhamnus glandulosa Ait. of the Portuguese flora, were screened in order to assay their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and African swine fever virus (ASFV). Twelve of these extracts revealed virucidal activity against HSV-1 whereas only six have the same activity against ASFV. Further studies showed that thirteen of the tested extracts inhibited HSV-1 infection, some of which had a significant activity against this virus such as Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock, Cassia sieberiana DC., Guiera senegalensis J.F. Gmel., Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redhead, Rhamnus glandulosa Ait. and Uvaria chamae P. Beauv. Four of the twenty-one tested extracts inhibited ASFV infection.
The bark of Terminalia arjuna is known for its heart-health benefits in ayurvedic literature. This has been further supported by in vivo studies on animal and human volunteers. But there is no detailed study on identification of the active ingredients such as polyphenols. Polyphenols possesses antioxidant properties and are well-known health actives, it is important to characterise polyphenols in Terminalia arjuna. Aqueous extract of Terminalia arjuna bark was analysed for its composition and molecular weight distribution by dialysis. Compositional analysis revealed that it has 44% polyphenols and dialysis study showed that 70% of the polyphenols have molecular weight greater than 3.5 kDa. High performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of Terminalia arjuna, confirmed that it contains flavon-3-ols such as (+)-catechin, (+)-gallocatechin and (-)-epigallocatechin. Phenolic acids such as gallic acid, ellagic acid and its derivatives were also found in Terminalia arjuna extract. Ellagic acid derivatives were isolated and their spectral studies indicated that isolated compounds were 3-O-methyl-ellagic acid 4-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, ellagic acid and 3-O-methyl ellagic acid 3-O-rhamnoside. Hydrolysis and thiolysis studies of high molecular weight polyphenols indicated that they are proanthocyanidins. Given these results, it may be possible to attribute the heart-health effects of Terminalia arjuna to these polyphenols which may be responsible for the endothelial benefit functions like tea.
Triphala, a herbal formula composed of the three fruits of Terminalia chebula Retz. (Haritaki, Family: Combretaceae), Terminalia bellirica Roxb. (Bibhitaki, Family: Combretaceae) and Phyllanthus emblica Linn. or Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Amalaki or the Indian gooseberry, Family: Euphorbiaceae) is considered to be a universal panacea in the traditional Indian system of medicine the Ayurveda. It has been described in the Ayurveda text as a "Rasayana' and to rejuvenat the debilitated organs. Ayurvedic physicians use Triphala for many ailments but most importantly to treat various gastrointestinal disorders. Scientific studies carried out in the past two decades have validated many of the ethnomedicinal claims and researches have shown Triphala to possess free radical scavenging, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antimutagenic, wound healing, anticariogenic, antistress, adaptogenic, hypoglycaemic, anticancer, chemoprotective, radioprotective and chemopreventive effects. Clinical studies have also shown that Triphala was found to have good laxative property, to improve appetite and reduce gastric hyperacidity. Studies have also shown that Triphala was effective in preventing dental caries and that this effect was equal to that of chlorhexidine. The current review addresses the validated pharmacological properties of Triphala and also emphasizes on aspects that need further investigation for its future clinic application.
Many Chinese herbs have been tested against herpes simplex virus (HSV) in search for new anti-herpetic agents. Extracts and novel molecules such as polysaccharides, tannins, terpenes, lignans, saponins, lectins and flavonoids have been found to be effective as anti-herpetic agents. Using different in vitro and in vivo models, novel compounds isolated from Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) have been tested and demonstrated with strong inhibitory effects on HSV through different mechanisms. CHM like Camellia sinensis, Mentha piperita, Myrica rubra, Pterocarya stenoptera, Smilax glabra and Terminalia arjuna are effective even at early stage of HSV infection to hinder viral attachment and penetration. Other CHM including Chamaecyparis obtuse, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Lobelia chinesis and Ocimum basilicum are capable of interfering in viral replication. Nelumbo nucifera, Pithecellobium clypearia, Polygonum cuspidatum and Schefflera heptaphylla have been reported to block host cellular machineries while Plantago major and Prunella vulgaris have shown to induce immunomodulatory effect. It is also noticeable that some CHM showed dual and even multiple roles in combating HSV infection. Structural modifications of CHM derived compounds by changing the degree of sulfation and oxygenation, transforming specific moiety, addition of chemical groups and increasing molecular weight resulted in enhanced anti-herpetic activity with high selectivity and low toxicity. It is a hopeful attempt to develop topical microbicides which possess multiple actions on the early or late stage of HSV infections from CHM. In this review, we focus on the promising results and the working mechanisms on the anti-herpetic activities of several CHM and the potential of their clinical applications.
Antibacterial activity of crude drug from the tree bark of T. arjuna was tested against bacteria using the hole-plate diffusion method with concentrations of 5–25 mg/ml. The effective results of bacterial activity were confirmed by the dilution method (1.25–20 mg/ml) in MIC. The above results were supported by phytochemical analysis. Specific activity against pathogenic bacterium, Bacillus subtilis and Staphyloccus aureus, confirm the traditional usage of bark of T. arjuna.
Forty-three extracts of herbal medicines were tested for suppressing the secretion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) in vitro. Fourteen extracts were found to have appreciable effects in the experimental system using the PLC/PRF/5 cell line. Of them, the extracts of Rheum palmatum (rhizome), Poligonum cuspidatum (root), Panax japonicum (root) and Terminalia arjuna (bark) strongly suppressed the secretion of HBsAg. The active constituents of these extracts absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract of guinea-pigs suppressed the secretion of HBsAg in the PLC/PRF/5 cell culture.
Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. (Combretaceae) is a tree having an extensive medicinal potential. The plant is used traditionally in the treatment
of various aliments. T. arjuna is a very good hypocholsteremic, hypolipidemic, anticoagulant, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, antiviral, antifungal and
antibacterial agent Various parts of plant have been investigated for the presence of phytoconstituents and pharmacological
activities. Many useful phytoconstituents have been isolated from T. arjuna. Triterpenoids are mainly responsible for cardiovascular properties. Tannins and flavonoids are responsible for its anticancer
properties. The present review summarizes the ethnic use, pharmacological activities of the extracts and phytoconstituents
of T. arjuna for last 90years.
The root of Terminalia macroptera Guill. & Perr. (Combretaceae) is widely used in African traditional medicine to treat various infectious diseases, including stomach-associated diseases. This study investigates the in vitro activity of T. macroptera root extract against reference strains and clinical isolates of H. pylori and attempts to localize the extract bioactivity. T. macroptera hydroethanol (80% V/V) root extract (Tmr) activity was tested against three standard strains and sixty two clinical strains of H. pylori. Tmr liquid-liquid partition fractions were screened against twenty H. pylori strains. Qualitative analysis of Tmr and its fractions was performed by HPLC-UV/DAD. The antibiotic characterization of the H. pylori strains revealed that 20% of the tested clinical isolates were resistant to at least two of the three antibiotics belonging to the main groups of antibiotics used in multi-therapy to eradicate H. pylori infections. In contrast, Tmr showed anti-H. pylori activity against the majority (92%) of the tested strains (MIC(50) and MIC(90)=200 μg/ml). The Tmr water liquid-liquid fraction (Tmr-3) and the precipitate obtained from this fraction (Tmr-5) were the most active tested samples, showing a MIC(50) of 100 μg/ml. The present work proves the in vitro activity of T. macroptera against H. pylori, thus confirming the utility of this traditional medicinal plant to treat stomach complaints due to H. pylori infection. The main compounds of Tmr and of Tmr-3 were the ellagitannins terchebulin and punicalagin. These compounds can be considered as markers of T. macroptera root active extracts against H. pylori.
A total of 82 Indian medicinal plants traditionally used in medicines were subjected to preliminary antibacterial screening against several pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. Aqueous, hexane and alcoholic extracts of each plant were tested for their antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method at sample concentration of 200 mg/ml. The results indicated that out of 82 plants, 56 exhibited antibacterial activity against one or more test pathogens. Interestingly, extracts of five plants showed strong and broad spectrum activity as compared to rest of 51 plant extracts which demonstrated moderate activity. On the whole the alcoholic extracts showed greater activity than their corresponding aqueous and hexane extracts. Among various extracts, only alcoholic extracts of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, Plumbago zeylanica and Holarrhena antidysenterica were found to show potentially interesting activity against test bacteria. These active crude alcoholic extracts were also assayed for cellular toxicity to fresh sheep erythrocytes and found to have no cellular toxicity.
Terminalia macroptera Guill. and Perr. (Combretaceae) is a West African species used on traditional medicine to treat infectious diseases.[1] Hereby we present the results of an antimicrobial activity screening performed by the twofold serial microdilution assay against seven reference bacterial strains and against Candida albicans, with a leaf hydroethanol extract (Tml) and liquid-liquid partition fractions Tml-1 (hexane), Tml-2 (diethyl ether), Tml-3 (ethyl acetate), Tml-4 (Tml water filtered fraction) and Tml-5 (Tml water precipitate fraction). In the range of tested concentrations (3200 to 50µg/ml), the extract was active against all tested microorganisms. The best results were obtained against Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio cholerae and the most active fraction was identified as the ethyl acetate one (Tml-3). Chemical profile of this fraction includes polyphenols as main compounds.
References:
1. Diniz MA. et al. (1996) The Biodiversity of African Plants (In: van der Maesen LJG., Ed. The Biodiversity of African Plants). Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordrecht.
A component of ethylacetate extract of Terminalia muelleri Benth. leaves, was found to inhibit Staphyloccoccus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus growth therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the effect of the active components on morphology of bacteria cell which was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Tetracycline HCl, penicillin G and vancomycin HCl were used as reference antibiotic. The active component at twice of the MIC caused shrinkage and thinning of the cell wall. The cell damage pattern which is caused by the active compound was similar to the damage caused by vancomycin HCl. It was explained that the antibacterial target of action of the active compound was inhibit the synthesis of the cell wall.
The tree Terminalia macroptera (Combretaceae) is widespread in Western Africa, and in this area, different parts have been utilized in the treatment of various diseases. In this article, we report on the medicinal use of T. macroptera in three different districts in Mali (Siby, Dioïla and Dogonland), based on interviews with 78 healers in these districts. Roots, root bark, stem bark, leaves and fruits have all been employed by healers, as has parasitic Loranthus species growing on the tree. Major areas of use comprise treatment of wounds and sores, infections, pain, cough, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Some of the medicinal uses of T. macroptera appear to be rationally explained by its chemical constituents.
Screening of the medicinal plants and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
A simple in vitro screening assay was employed for the standard strain of Vibrio cholerae, 12 isolates of Vibrio cholerae non-O1, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Aqueous and organic solvent extracts of different parts of the plants were investigated by using the disk diffusion method. Extracts from 16 medicinal plants were selected on account of the reported traditional uses for the treatment of cholera and gastrointestinal diseases, and they were assayed for vibriocidal activities.
The different extracts differed significantly in their vibriocidal properties with respect to different solvents. The MIC values of the plant extracts against test bacteria were found to be in the range of 2.5-20 mg/ml.
The results indicated that Lawsonia inermis, Saraca indica, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia belerica, Allium sativum, and Datura stramonium served as broad-spectrum vibriocidal agents.
Introduction and objective: Dental caries is a common oral bacterial pathology that has been associated with Streptococcus spp., mainly Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp. Antibacterial activities of Terminalia chebula extracts against several bacterial strains have been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible antimicrobial potential of T. chebula fruit extracts (acetone, ethanol, methanol, cold and hot aqueous) against five dental caries causing microorganisms. Materials and methods: For this purpose, three bacteria S. mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and two yeasts Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested. Antimicrobial activity was tested using agar well diffusion method. All the tested extracts showed antibacterial activity against two bacteria S. mutans and S. aureus but no antimicrobial activity was observed against L. acidophilus, C. albicans and S. cerevisiae. Results: The highest activity was shown by the acetonic extract with a mean diameter of inhibition zone being 25.32mm and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 25mg/ml against S. mutans and a mean diameter of 32.97mm and a MIC of 12.5mg/ml against S. aureus followed by ethanolic, hot aqueous, cold aqueous and methanolic extracts. Conclusion: These promising findings suggest the presence of antibacterial activity in the tested plant material, exhibited by its bioactive compounds, and serving them as an alternative antimicrobial agent against dental caries causing microorganisms.
Traditional herbal medicines have been safely used for the treatment of various human diseases since ancient China. We selected 10 herbal extracts with therapeutic antiherpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity. Among these, Geum japonicum Thunb., Rhus javanica L., Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. et Perry, or Terminalia chebula Retzus showed a stronger anti-HSV-1 activity in combination with acyclovir than the other herbal extracts in vitro. When acyclovir and/or a herbal extract were orally administered at doses corresponding to human use, each of the 4 combinations significantly limited the development of skin lesions and/or prolonged the mean survival times of infected mice compared with both acyclovir and the herbal extract alone (P < 0.01 or 0.05). These combinations were not toxic to mice. They reduced virus yields in the brain and skin more strongly than acyclovir alone and exhibited stronger anti-HSV-1 activity in the brain than in the skin, in contrast to acyclovir treatment by itself. Combinations of acyclovir with historically used herbal medicines showed strong combined therapeutic anti-HSV-1 activity in mice, especially reduction of virus yield in the brain.
In a screening of plants used traditionally in Nepal to treat diseases that could be caused by viruses, twenty-one methanol extracts from twenty species were quantitatively assayed for activity against three mammalian viruses: herpes simplex virus, Sindbis virus and poliovirus. Assays were performed in ultraviolet (UV)-A or visible light, as well as dark, and cytotoxicity was also noted. Impressive antiviral activities were exhibited by species of Bauhinia (Fabaceae), Carissa (Apocynaceae), Milletia (Fabaceae), Mallotus (Fabaceae), Rumex (Polygonaceae), Streblus (Moraceae), Terminalia (Combretaceae) and Tridax (Asteraceae). The Carissa extract was the most active, showing activity against all three viruses at a concentration of 12 micrograms/ml. Many of the other extracts showed partial inactivation of one or more test viruses.
In an ethnopharmacological screening of selected medicinal plants used in Nepal, methanol extracts from 20 plant species were assayed for activity against eleven strains of bacteria and four strains of fungi. Duplicate assays were conducted with and without exposure to ultraviolet (UV)-A radiation to test for light-activated or light-enhanced activity. Fifteen of the extracts showed activity against bacteria and fourteen showed activity against fungi. Five extracts were active only when exposed to UV-A light, and the antibiotic or antifungal effect of five extracts was enhanced upon exposure to light. Two of the most active extracts were from plants used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery. Bark from both Terminalia alata (Combretaceae) and Mallotus phillppensis (Euphorbiaceae) was active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Terminalia macroptera Guill et Perr. (Combretaceae) is a medicinal plant used in Guinea-Bissau and other West African countries to treat infectious diseases. The ethanol extract from T. macroptera decorticated root and their liquid-liquid partition fractions, were screened for antimicrobial activity, by the twofold serial microdilution assay against seven reference bacterial strains and against Candida albicans. The extract and fractions showed some activity against at least one of the test microorganisms. The best results were obtained against Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio cholerae. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of T. macroptera ethanol extract were also determined for about 100 clinical strains of Campylobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp. and Vibrio cholerae. The ethanol extract activity against Campylobacter strains is similar to co-trimoxazole, higher than sulfamethoxazole but lower than tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin and streptomycin. Ellagitannins are the major compounds in the extract and active fractions. The obtained results suggest a potential importance of this medicinal plant in the treatment of enteric diseases, particularly in Campylobacter infections.
In vitro studies of water extracts of plants such as Terminalia chebula, Punica granatum, Delonix regia and Emblica officinalis were found to be detrimental to test dermatophytes.
The roots of Terminalia alata yielded three new glycosides: 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-beta -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-alpha -L-arabinopyranoside (1), 5,7,2'-tri-O-methylflavanone 4'-O-alpha -L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta -D-glucopyranoside (2), and 2 alpha ,3 beta, 19 beta ,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid 3-O-beta -D-galactopyranosyl-(1 --> 3)-beta -D-glucopyranoside-28-O-beta -D-glucopyranoside (3). Compounds 2 and 3 displayed antifungal activity.
The effect of ether, alcoholic and water extracts of black myrobalan (Teminalia chebula Retz) on Helicobactor pylori were examined using an agar diffusion method on Columbia Agar. Water extracts of black myrobalan showed significant antibacterial activity and had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bacteriocidal concentration (MBC) of 125 and 150 mg/l, respectively. The extract was active after autoclaving for 30 min at 121 degrees C. Plant powder (incorporated in agar) gave higher MIC and MBC values (150 and 175 mg/l, respectively). Water extracts of the black myrobalan at a concentration of 1-2.5 mg/ml inhibited urease activity of H. pylori. The results show that black myrobalan extracts contain a heat stable agent(s) with possible therapeutic potential. Other bacterial species were also inhibited by black myrobalan water extracts.