Antibacterial and antibiotic-modifying activities of fractions and compounds from Albizia adianthifolia against MDR Gram-negative enteric bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Albizia adianthifolia (Schum.) is medicinally used in Cameroon to manage bronchitis and skin diseases. Our previous study documented the antibacterial potential of its roots' methanol extract. In this study, methanol roots extract was subjected to chromatography techniques and fractions (AARa and AARb), sub-fractions (AARa1-4, AARb1-2 and AARb11-14) together with isolated phytochemicals were assessed for their antimicrobial as well as their antibiotic-potentiating effects towards Gram-negative multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria. METHODS: The antibacterial activities of the samples (determination of Minimal Inhibitory « MIC ¼ and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration « MBC ¼) were determined by the modified rapid p-iodonitrotetrazolium chloride (INT) colorimetric assay, as well as those of antibiotics in association with the compounds. Column chromatography was applied to isolate phytochemicals from roots extract and their chemical structures were determined using spectroscopic techniques. RESULTS: The phytochemicals isolated were stearic acid (1), a mixture (1:1) of stigmasterol and ß-sitosterol (2 +  3), ß-sitosterol 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), palmatin (5), homomangiferin (6) and mangiferin (7). Fraction AARa exhibited selective inhibitory effects whilst all tested bacteria were inhibited by AARb in MIC ranges of 8 to 1024 µg/mL. Sub-fractions AARb1-2 had MIC values between 8 µg/mL and 1024 µg/mL on all tested bacteria. Phytochemicals 4, 2 +  3 and 7 inhibited the growth of 54.54% (6/11), 45.45% (5/11) and 27.27% (3/11) tested bacterial strains, respectively. When tested with an efflux pumps inhibitor (Phenylalanine-Arginine-ß-Naphthylamide or PAßN), the inhibitory effects of compounds 2 + 3 and 4 increased towards all the tested bacteria. In association with erythromycin (ERY), streptomycin (STR) and tetracycline (TET), compounds 2 + 3 and 4 had the most significant synergistic activity on the seven selected bacteria. CONCLUSION: The present study provides information on the possible use of Albizia adianthifolia and its constituents in the control of Gram-negative infections including MDR phenotypes.

Three New Abietane-Type Diterpenoids from Plectranthus africanus and Their Antibacterial Activities.

Three new abietane-type diterpenoids, plectranthroyleanones A - C (1:  - 3: ), together with five known compounds (4:  - 8: ) were isolated from the methanol extract of the whole plant of Plectranthus africanus using column chromatography techniques. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS analyses. Compound 1: exhibited weak activities with minimal inhibitory concentration values of 75 µg/mL against gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, and 150 µg/mL against two gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively, while 2: and 3: had moderate antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae with a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 37.5 µg/mL.

Antibacterial activities of the methanol extract, fractions and compounds from Elaeophorbia drupifera (Thonn.) Stapf. (Euphorbiaceae).

BACKGROUND: Elaeophorbia drupifera (Thonn.) Stapf. (Euphorbiaceae) is used in Cameroonian folk medicine to treat several ailments including bacterial-related diseases such as skin infections. In this study, the methanol extract from the leaves (EDL), fractions (EDLa-d), sub-fractions EDLc1-7 and EDLc31-35 as well as isolated compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activities against a panel of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria including multidrug resistant (MDR) phenotypes. METHODS: The broth microdilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the above samples; column chromatography was used for the fractionation and purification of the leaves extract whilst the chemical structures of compounds were determined using spectroscopic techniques. RESULTS: Phytochemical investigation lead to the isolation of a mixture (1:3) of stigmasterol and ß-sitosterol (1 + 2), euphol (3), sitosterol-O-ß- D -xylopyranoside (4), 3,3',4'-tri-O-methylellagic acid (5), a mixture (1:1) of afzelin and quercetin-3-O-ß-D-xylopyranoside (6 + 7), 3,3',4'-tri-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), ellagic acid-4-O-ß-xylopyranoside-3,3',4'-trimethyl ether (9) from EDLc. Crude extract and fractions displayed selective activities with MIC values ranged from 32 to 1024 µg/mL for EDL against 84.9% of the 33 tested bacteria, 93.9% for EDLc, 69.7% for EDLb, 33.4% for EDLa and 0.03% for EDLd. MIC values ranged from 16 to 1024 µg/mL were obtained with EDLc3 and EDLc4 on all tested bacteria meanwhile other sub-fractions displayed selective activities. MIC value of 32 µg/mL was obtained with fractions EDLa against Escherichia coli AG100, EDLc against Enterobacer aerogenes ATCC13048 and EA298. For sub-fractions obtained from EDLc, the lowest MIC value of 16 µg/mL was recorded with EDLc3 against Staphylococcus aureus MRSA11. A corresponding value of 8 µg/mL against Providencia stuartii NAE16 was recorded with EDLc33 obtained from further fractionation of EDLc3. EDLc3 had MIC values below 100 µg/mL against all tested bacteria. Compound 5 as well as the mixture (1:1) of 6 and 7 inhibited the growth of all the tested bacteria with MICs ranged from 64 to 256 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: Elaeophorbia drupifera is a potential source of phytomedicine to tackle MDR bacteria. Sub-fraction EDLc3 was more active than all isolated compounds and deserves further investigations to develop natural drug to combat Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria and otherwise MDR phenotypes.