Research Letters

Five Ochna species have high antibacterial activity and more than ten antibacterial compounds

Tshepiso J. Makhafola, Jacobus N. Eloff
South African Journal of Science | Vol 108, No 1/2 | a689 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajs.v108i1/2.689 | © 2012 Tshepiso J. Makhafola, Jacobus N. Eloff | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 04 April 2011 | Published: 23 January 2012

About the author(s)

Tshepiso J. Makhafola, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Jacobus N. Eloff, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

New measures to control infections in humans and other animals are continuously being sought because of the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. In a wide tree screening survey of the antimicrobial activity of extracts of tree leaves (www.up.ac.za/phyto), Ochna pulchra, a small tree found widely in southern Africa, had good antibacterial activity. We therefore investigated the antibacterial activity of acetone leaf extracts of some other available Ochna spp. Antibacterial activity and the number of antibacterial compounds in acetone leaf extracts of Ochna natalitia, Ochna pretoriensis, O. pulchra, Ochna gamostigmata and Ochna serullata were determined with a tetrazolium violet serial microplate dilution assay and bioautography against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacteria commonly associated with nosocomial infections. The percentage yields of the extracts varied from 2.5% to 8%. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the five species ranged from 40 µg/mL to 1250 µg/mL. E. coli was sensitive to all the extracts. The O. pretoriensis extract was the most active with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.065 mg/mL and 0.039 mg/mL against E. coli and E. faecalis, respectively. The O. pretoriensis extract also had the highest total activities of 923 mL/g and 1538 mL/g, indicating that the acetone extract from 1 g of dried plant material could be diluted to 923 mL or 1538 mL and would still kill these bacteria. Based on the bioautography results, the two most active species, O. pretoriensis and O. pulchra, contained at least 10 antibacterial compounds with similar Rf values. Some of these antibacterial compounds were polar and others were non-polar. Variation in the chemical composition of the species may have some taxonomic value. The order of activity of the species to the bacteria were O. pretoriensis > O. pulchra > O. gamostigmata > O. serullata > O. natalitia. Even before toxicity and bioavailability issues are considered, some Ochna spp. leaf extracts have the potential to be used in treating skin infections.

Keywords

minimum inhibitory concentrations; serial microplate dilution; bioautography; nosocomial bacteria; antibacterial activity

Metrics

Total abstract views: 1567
Total article views: 2610

References


Eloff JN. The antibacterial activity of 27 southern African members of the Combretaceae. S Afr J Sci. 1999;95:148–152.

Newman DJ, Cragg GM, Snader KM. Natural products as sources of new drugs over the period 1981–2002. J Nat Prod. 2003;66:1022–1037. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/np030096l, PMid:12880330

Oliveira MCC, Carvalho MG, Silva CJ, Werle AA. New biflavonoid and other constituents from Luxemburgia nobilis EICHL. J Brazil Chem Soc. 2002;13:119–123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-50532002000100020

Estevam CS, Oliveira FM, Conserva LM, et al. [Chemical constituents and antimalarial activity of Ouratea nitida Aubl. (Ochnaceae)]. Rev Bras Farmacogn. 2005;95–198. Portuguese.

Kaewamatawong R, Likhitwitayawuid K, Ruangrungsi N, Takayama H, Kitajima M, Aimi N. Novel biflavonoids from the stem bark of Ochna integerrima. J Nat Prod. 2002;65:1027–1029. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/np010630u, PMid:12141866

Likhitwitayawuid K, Kaewamatawong R, Ruangrungsi N. Mono- and biflavonoids of Ochna integerrima. Biochem Syst Ecol. 2005;33:527–536. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2004.10.014

Sibanda S, Nyayira M, Nicolletti M, Galleffi C. Vismiones L and M from Ochna pulchra. Phytochemistry. 1993;34(6):1650–1652. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)90866-5

Messanga BB, Tih RG, Kimbu SF, Sondengam BL, Martin MT, Bodo B. Calodenone, a new isobiflavonoid from Ochna calodendron. J Nat Prod. 1992;55:245–248.

Reutrakul V, Ningnuek N, Pohmakotr M, et al. Anti HIV-1 flavonoid glycosides from Ochna integerrima. Planta Medica. 2007;73(7):683–688. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-981538, PMid:17562490

Perry LM. Medicinal plants of East and Southern Asia. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 1980.

Eloff JN. Which extractant should be used for the screening and isolation of antimicrobial components from plants? J Ethnopharmacol. 1998;60:1–8.

Kotze M, Eloff JN. Extraction of antibacterial compounds from Combretum microphyllum (Combretaceae). S Afr J Bot. 2002;68:62–67.

Sacho H, Schoub DB. Current perspectives on nosocomial infections. Pietermaritzburg: Natal Witness Printing and Publishing; 1993.

National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Performance standards for antimicrobial disk susceptibility tests. 4th ed. Approved Standard. NCCLS Document M2-A4. Villanova, PA: NCCLS; 1990.

Masoko P, Eloff JN. The diversity of antifungal compounds in six South African Terminalia species (Combretaceae) determined by bioautography. Afr J Biotechnol. 2005;14(12):1425–1431.

Begue WJ, Kline RM. The use of tetrazolium salts in bioautographic procedures. J Chromatogr. 1972;64:182–184.

Eloff JN. A sensitive and quick method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of plant extracts for bacteria. Planta Medica. 1998;60:1–8.

Eloff JN. A proposal on expressing the antibacterial activity of plant extracts – A small first step in applying scientific knowledge to rural primary health care in South Africa. S Afr J Sci. 2000;96:116–118.

Eloff JN. [The large difference in chemical composition and antibacterial activity between two related Leonotis species (Lamiaceaea) may have taxonomic value]. S Afr Tydskr Natuurwet Tegnol. 2010;29:30–38. Afrikaans.

Masoko P, Picard J, Eloff JN. Antifungal activities of six South African Terminalia species (Combretaceae). J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;99:301–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2005.01.061, PMid:15894142



Reader Comments

Before posting a comment, read our privacy policy.

Post a comment (login required)

 

Crossref Citations

1. In vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of five Ochna species (Ochnaceae) with excellent antibacterial activity
Tshepiso J. Makhafola, Lyndy J. McGaw, Jacobus N. Eloff
South African Journal of Botany  vol: 91  first page: 9  year: 2014  
doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2013.11.010