European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIAMOEBIC AND ANTISPASMODIC ACTIVITIES OF EXTRACTS FROM BRUCEA SUMATRANA ROXB. (SIMAROUBACEAE) LEAVES USED AS ANTIDIARREAL AGENT IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Tshodi E. M., Nsaka L. S., Kambu K. O., Lami N. J., Cimanga K. R.*, Vlietinck A. J. and Pieters L.

ABSTRACT

Results from the present study reported the antibacterial, antiaomoebic and antispasmodic activities of samples from Brucea sumatrana leaves including lyophilized aqueous extract and its soluble fractions, 80% methanol and total alkaloids extracts. Results from the antibacterial and bactericidal testings, revealed that all extracts and soluble fractions from B. sumatrana leaves exhibited antibacterial and bactericidal activities by inhibiting the growth of selected clinically isolated bacteria with minimal and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) from 7.81 to 250 µg/ml. In antiamoebic testing, all extracts and soluble fractions from the same plant part, were found to possess very good capacity to inhibit the growth of the parasite Entamoeba histolytica with minimal amoebicidal concentrations (MAC) from 2.03 to 10.68 µg/ml and inhibitory concentrations 50 (IC50) ranging from 1.14 to 6.35 µg/ml while in antispasmodic testing on isolated guinea-pig ileum, all samples inhibited contractions induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and depolarizing solution rich in KCl (DSR-KCl) by more than 65% when tested at 40 µg/ml. The most active samples were lyophilized aqueous, 80% methanol and total alkaloids extracts, ethylacetate and residual aqueous soluble fractions exhibiting antibacterial activity with MIC and MBC values < 100 µg/ml, displaying antiamoebic activity with MAC and IC50 < 10 µg/ml and producing percentage inhibitions of contractions induced by ACh and DSR-KCl more than 80%. These results can partly support and justify the traditional use of B. sumatrana leaves in the decoction form for the treatment of diarrhea in traditional medicine in DR-Congo and other African countries according to its origin.

Keywords: Brucea sumatrana, Simaroubaceae, leaves, extracts, fractions, antibacterial, antiamoebic and antispasmodic activities, diarrhea