Pharmacy

Permanent URI for this collection

https://erepository.mku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/160

Browse

Browsing Pharmacy by Author "Arara, Lameck N"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    In vitro antibacterial activities, safety studies and phytochemical screening of Dregea Schimperi clark (Asclepiadaceae) extracts
    (World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2017-06) Onyancha, Jared M; Wakori, E.W.T; Moriasi, Gervason A; Waiganjo, Bibianne W.; Kisengi, John M; Arara, Lameck N; Ng’etich, Japhet K
    Plants synthesize phytochemical compounds for protection against environmental stress and diseases. Some of the phytochemicals are used for curative and preventive medicine. Over 90% plant materials are used in traditional medicine to treat diseases in human and veterinary diseases. Since a great percentage of plant materials used lack sufficient scientific data to back their healing claims, the current study focused on the evaluation of antimicrobial, cytotoxic and phytochemical properties of methanolic and water extracts of Dregea schimpheri leaves and husks. D. schimperi has many ethnomedical claims including the management of infectious diseases. Disc diffusion method was used to assay for antimicrobial activities of the methanolic and water extracts of leaves and husks against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas aerugnosa and Escherichia coli. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was determined by use of brine shrimp lethality test. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the husks and leaves was performed with standard phytochemical tests. Antibacterial results were tabulated as mean zone of inhibition ± SEM. LC50 values for brine shrimp lethality test were estimated using Graphed Prism Version 5 statistical software. Phytochemical screening observations were also tabulated. Most extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus, M. luteus, B. pumilus, E. coli and P. aurignosa. Water and methanol husk extracts of D. schimperi were found to be cytotoxic (LC50 ˂100µg/ml) while all leaf extracts had moderate to low toxicity. Phytochemical screening revealed presence of alkaloids, phenols, tannins in both leaf and husk powders. Saponins and anthraquinones were present in leaf extracts but absent in the husks. The antibacterial and cytotoxic activities are attributed to the presence of these secondary metabolites. Further studies aimed at isolating the bioactive compounds with antibacterial and cytotoxic properties are recommended. In vitro and in vivo toxicity studies are also necessary.