Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial profiles of <i>Scilla nervosa</i> (Burch.) Jessop (Hyacinthaceae)
Keywords:
anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial activity, Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Scilla nervosa, Staphylococcus aureus
Abstract
Scilla nervosa (Burch.) Jessop (Hyacinthaceae) [=Schizocarphus nervosus (Burch.) Van der Merwe] is a well-known plant in traditional medicine in South Africa, used for conditions associated with pain and inflammation, such as rheumatic fever. However, the topical anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of the plant have not been investigated. A bioassay-guided fractionation approach was implemented to determine the biological activities of different extracts. A crude methanol extract was prepared from the bulbs to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties in a mouse model of acute croton oil-induced auricular contact dermatitis. The non-polar and polar components present in the methanol extract were separated by extraction with dichloromethane and ethanol, respectively; and their antimicrobial activity against the invasive pathogenic microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiellla pneumoniae and Candida albicans was investigated using a microplate method. Oedema induced by application of croton oil was significantly reduced 3 h (~66%) and 6 h (~40%) after treatment with the extracts. Anti-inflammatory activity was ~1.8-fold lower at 6 h, suggesting a potent, short-acting effect. The non-polar extract exhibited greater efficacy and potency against the microorganisms than the polar extract. The non-polar extract was equipotent against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae, but twice as potent against C. albicans as against the bacteria, suggesting little discrimination between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria but specificity for the fungal yeast. The polar extract was the least potent against K. pneumoniae, but 10-fold more potent against C. albicans, suggesting specificity for Gram-positive bacteria and the fungal yeast. S. nervosa contains compounds that are individually, or in combination, potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agents. The anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated here may rationalise the use of the plant in traditional medicine.References
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3. Hutchings A, Scott A, Lewis G, Cunningham AB. Zulu medicinal plants – An inventory. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Press; 1996.
4. Jacot Guillarmod A. Flora of Lesotho. Lehre: Verlag von Cramer; 1971.
5. Bangani V, Crouch NR, Mulholland DA. Homoisoflavanones and stilbenoids from Scilla nervosa. Phytochemistry. 1999;51:947–951. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(99)00155-7
6. Watt J, Breyer-Brandwijk M. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa. Edinburgh: Livingston Ltd; 1962.
7. Tubaro A, Dri P, Delbello G, Zilli C, Della Loggia R. The croton oil ear test revisited. Agents Actions. 1986;17:347–349. doi:10.1007/BF01982641, PMid:3962781
8. López A, Sims D, Ablett R, et al. Effect of emu oil on auricular inflammation induced with croton oil in mice. Am J Vet Res. 1999;60:1558–1561.
9. Yoganathan S, Nicolosi R, Wilson T, et al. Antagonism of croton oil inflammation by topical emu oil in CD-1 mice. Lipids. 2003;38:603–607. doi:10.1007/s11745-003-1104-y, PMid:12934669
10. Du Toit K, Buthelezi S, Bodenstein J. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial profiles of selected compounds found in South African propolis. S Afr J Sci. 2009;105:470–472.
11. Fretland D, Widomski D, Zemaitis J, et al. Inflammation of guinea pig dermis: Effects of leukotriene B4 receptor antagonist, SC-41930. Inflammation. 1990;14:727–739. doi:10.1007/BF00916375, PMid:1965311
12. Eloff JN. A sensitive and quick microplate method to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of plant extracts for bacteria. Planta Medica. 1998;64:711–713. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957563, PMid:9933989
13. GraphPad Prism. Version 5.02. San Diego, CA: GraphPad Software.
14. Oliveira de Melo J, Truiti MT, Muscara M, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of crude extract and fractions of Nectandra falcifolia leaves. Biol Pharm Bull. 2006;29:2241–2245. doi:10.1248/bpb.29.2241
15. Van Vuuren SF. Antimicrobial activity of South African medicinal plants. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008;119:462–472. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.05.038, PMid:18582553
Published
2011-05-09
Section
Research Letters