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Screening of some somalian medicinal plants for antimicrobial activity
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 17 (1986) 283-288 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd.
283
Short Communication
SCREENING OF SOME SOMALIAN ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY
MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR
ABDULLAHI S. ELMIa, ANDERS BAERHEIM SVENDSENb, JOHANNES J.C. SCHEFFERb and ROBERT VERPOORTEb “Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Somali National University, Mogadishu (Somalia) and bDivision of Pharmacognosy, Center for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (The Netherlands) (Accepted July 1, 1986)
Introduction
A previous publication reported on the status of research on traditional medicine in Somalia (Elmi, 1980). As the second phase of the research project on traditional medicine, a screening is made of the activities of commonly used drugs. Since infectious diseases belong to the major groups of diseases encountered in Somalia (similar to all other countries), one of the objectives of the project is to screen traditional medicines for antimicrobial activity. Infectious diseases are usually characterized by clear symptoms, so it is likely that traditional healers have been able to recognize such diseases and have developed effective therapies. Moreover, as antibiotics mostly have clear effects, the chance of finding antimicrobially active traditional medicines is considered high. Results of previous studies on selected traditional drugs from Surinam indeed support this thesis (Verpoorte et al., 1982) in that more than half of the material screened showed antimicrobial activity, particularly against gram-positive bacteria. This is far more than expected for an at-random screening of plants (Dornberger and Lich, 1982). Here we shall report on a screening for antimicrobial activity of a series of Somalian medicinal plants, some of which are at present also screened for other pharmacological activities (Samuelsson et al., unpublished results), viz. the plants of which an aqueous extract was tested. 0 1986 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. 037%8741/86/$02.45 Published and Printed in Ireland
284
Experimental
Plant material The plant material was collected in the Shabeelle area between Barawe and Jowhar (Somalia) in November 1981. The collecting was done by a Somalian-Swedish team; the plant material was identified by 0. Hedberg (Department of Systematic Botany, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden) in collaboration with A.M. Warfa (Faculty of Agriculture, Somali National University, Mogadishu, Somalia). Some of the material was collected separately in April 1983. The plants were given a number (SMP = Somalian Medicinal Plant) and herbarium specimens were deposited at the Department of Systematic Botany, University of Uppsala, at the Faculty of Agriculture, Somali National University, Mogadishu, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (U.K.).
Extraction The method used for the ethanolic extraction has previously been described (Verpoorte et al, 1982). Aqueous extracts were made by stirring the plant material overnight at room temperature with a ten-fold amount of 2% acetic acid. After filtration, the aqueous extracts were concentrated in vacua and lyophilized. The screening method has been described before (Verpoorte et al., 1982). The extracts were tested at a concentration of 50 mg/ml; in Table 1 the diameters of the zones of inhibition are presented. The following test organisms were used: Bacillus sub tilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10235). Results and discussion
In Table 1 the results of the screening are listed. Of 57 samples, representing 45 plant species, 30 showed activity against gram-positive bacteria. Only one plant extract (Achyranthes aspera) showed activity against the gramnegative bacterium E. coli, and one plant extract (Balanites aegyptica) showed activity against the yeast C. albicans. At the concentration tested, none of the extracts showed an effect against fungi. Similar scores of active extracts were found in the screenings of medicinal plants of Surinam (Verpoorte et al., 1982) and of Senegal (Verpoorte, Le Grand and Wondergem, unpublished results). Considering the activities observed for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts from the same plant material, it can be noted that with the exception of Aerva persica and Terminalia orbicularis the ethanolic extracts are the more active ones.
68
Chasmanthera dependens
3 17 96
95 51
Croton menyhartii Pax Cyperus esculentus L. Cyphostemma adenocaule Willd. & Drumm. Euphorbia robecchi Pax ~uphorbia tirucalli L.
(Steud.
39
Cordia sinensis Lam.
Hochst.
22 54 62 33 37
Aerua persica (Burrnf.) Merrill ~a~anites aegyptica (L.) Del.d Barleria proxima Lindau Caesalpina bonduc (L.) Roxb. Cassia occidentalis L.
ex A. Rich.)
14
Adenium obesum (Forsk.)
Vitaceae Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae Cyperaceae
Boraginaceae
Menispermaceae
Amaranthaceae Zygophyllaceae Acanthaceae Gaesalpiniaceae Caesalpiniaceae
Apocynaceae
Passifloraceae
23
R. & S.
Mimosaceae Mimosaceae Amaranthaceae Bombacaceae
R SB Br
SB L S R
R
R R R AP WP
R
R
R SB R F
Plant parta
FROM SOMALIA
18 58 1 57
Family
PLANTS
Acacia bussei Harms ex SjSstedt Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) Hayne Achyranthes aspera L.’ Adansonia digitata L. Adenia aculeata (Hook.f.) Engl. subsp. mangania (Chiov. ) de Wilde
OF SOME MEDICINAL SMP toll. no.
ACTIVITY
Plant species
ANT~ICROBIAL
TABLE 1
H,O H,O EtOH
H,O, EtOH
Type of extract
Carmo Loley H,O Dharkeen EtOH EtOH Dano
BoqolBireed H,O, EtOH Ombo Gaduud EtOH Hamboohi H,O, EtOH EtOH Shillan Shiish H,O Sabciin H,O Jibaari (= Diir Jinni) H,O Magaagoombe EtOH Mareer Hz0 Hz0 Bogeadde H,O EtOH Qunjo
Galool Qurac Sariibiye Yaaq
Vernacular name
16
-
14
-
14
15 16 -
14
-
-
-
--I--
20 13114 14 -
-
-I-
25
lost
-I-
17120 16 -
S. aureus
18/20b 14 -
B. sub tilis
Diameter zone of inhibition (mm)” observed for a concentration of 50 mglml
E
sycomorus
L.
WP R
Asclepiadaceae
98 25
Premna resinosa (Hochst.) Psorolea coryfolia L.
Solanaceae Solanaceae Chenopodiaceae Combretaceae Malvaceae Annonaceae
64 71 80 21 12 2 61
(L.) R.Br.
Mattei L.s.lat. Forsk. ex. J.F. Gmel.
Terminalia orbicularis Engl. & Diels Thespesia danis Oliv. Uvaria denhard tiana Engl. & Diels
Solanum arundo Solanum nigrum Suaeda monoica
viminale
WP R L SB L R
R F
Verbenaceae Papilionaceae
87 81
Moringa longitu ba Engl. Phyllanthus somalensis Hutch.
Sarcostemma
R R
Moringaceae Euphorbiaceae
Schauer
R L WP R
Compositae Compositae Loranthaceae Capparidaceae
28 43 86 60
Launea cornuta (Hochst. ex Oliv. & Hiern) C. Jeffrey Launea intybacea (Jacq.) Beauv. Loranthus kelleri Engl. Maerua subcordata (Gilg) De Wolf
Jeffrey
R TLIWP
Euphorbiaceae Cucurbitaceae
93 65
Jatropha spicata Pax Kedrostis gijef (Forsk.
ex. J.F. Gmel.)
S
Euphorbiaceae
44
L.
Jatropha
curcas
L R
Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae
27 15
ex DC.
R R
Tiliaceae Boraginaceae
66 29
acquatica Forsk. cicatricosa Bak.
Stend.
SB
Moraceae
48
Ipomoea Ipomoea
Grewia villosa Willd. Heliotropium cinerascens
Ficus
Majabe (or Rawaantir) Jojocle Sisimo (= Geed Biyood) Milaaq Sangooy Aruundo Munafoqow Dalluug Dalluug Bisaq Kabxan Murug
Wanshaquar Kable Fuule ShafaalWeyn Fintir
Maaloole Dameer Qumis CantalMuluug Geed Bunow Mandheerqube
DabaHarraan
Kab;sarey)
Mukey I-&O, EtOH
EtOH
H,O,
EtOH
H,O EtOH EtOH H,O, EtOH EtOH H,O, EtOH H,O EtOH
H,O
EtOH EtOH
Hz0
EtOH
H,O EtOH EtOH
H,O,
H,O, EtOH EtOH
EtOH
H,O,
EtOH
Hz0
16/14 -
-
--I16 20 17/-14 15
-
-
-
_
-
20 18
17 15
Lost
-
20
18 16 13
-
-l-
21
-I-
-I12
-I-
19
17122 -
-
--/-
-/18
-112
-/--
25
-/--
Vatke
47 38
8 63 Rhamnaceae Aizoaceae
Compositae Olacaceae TL R
L R Sumbul Madharuug (=Murcood) Geb (=Gob) Gammane 17 -
16 -
H,O H,O H,O 13
22
20
H,O
a AP = aerial parts, Br = branches, F = fruits, L = leaves, R = roots, S = Seeds, SB = stembark, TL = twigs and leaves, WP = whole plant. b The activity of the aqueous and the ethanolic extract, respectively. ’ Also active against E. coli (diameter zone of inhibition 16 mm). d Also active against C. albicans (diameter zone of inhibition 24 mm). e Concentration tested: 50 mg/ml in holes with a diameter of 10 mm.
Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. Zoleya pentandra (L.) Jeffrey
Vernonia hildebrandtii Ximenia caffra Sond.
288
Acknowledgements One of the authors (ASE) is grateful to Leiden University for a grant that enabled him to do part of the research at the Division of Pharmacognosy at this University. Financial support from SAREC (Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation) for the study of Somalian medicinal plants is gratefully acknowledged. The lyophilized aqueous plant extracts were kindly supplied by Gunnar Samuelsson, Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden. References Elmi, A.S. (1980) Present state of knowledge and research on the plants used in traditional medicine in Somalia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2, 23-27. Verpoorte, R., Tjin, A. Tsoi, A., van Doorne, H. and Baerheim Svendsen, A. (1982) Medicinal plants of Suriname, I. Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 5, 221-226. Dornberger, K. and Lich, H. (1982) Screening nach antimikrobiell sowie potentiell cancerostatisch wirksamen Pflanzeninhaltsstoffen. Pharmazie 37, 215-221.
283
Short Communication
SCREENING OF SOME SOMALIAN ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY
MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR
ABDULLAHI S. ELMIa, ANDERS BAERHEIM SVENDSENb, JOHANNES J.C. SCHEFFERb and ROBERT VERPOORTEb “Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Somali National University, Mogadishu (Somalia) and bDivision of Pharmacognosy, Center for Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden (The Netherlands) (Accepted July 1, 1986)
Introduction
A previous publication reported on the status of research on traditional medicine in Somalia (Elmi, 1980). As the second phase of the research project on traditional medicine, a screening is made of the activities of commonly used drugs. Since infectious diseases belong to the major groups of diseases encountered in Somalia (similar to all other countries), one of the objectives of the project is to screen traditional medicines for antimicrobial activity. Infectious diseases are usually characterized by clear symptoms, so it is likely that traditional healers have been able to recognize such diseases and have developed effective therapies. Moreover, as antibiotics mostly have clear effects, the chance of finding antimicrobially active traditional medicines is considered high. Results of previous studies on selected traditional drugs from Surinam indeed support this thesis (Verpoorte et al., 1982) in that more than half of the material screened showed antimicrobial activity, particularly against gram-positive bacteria. This is far more than expected for an at-random screening of plants (Dornberger and Lich, 1982). Here we shall report on a screening for antimicrobial activity of a series of Somalian medicinal plants, some of which are at present also screened for other pharmacological activities (Samuelsson et al., unpublished results), viz. the plants of which an aqueous extract was tested. 0 1986 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. 037%8741/86/$02.45 Published and Printed in Ireland
284
Experimental
Plant material The plant material was collected in the Shabeelle area between Barawe and Jowhar (Somalia) in November 1981. The collecting was done by a Somalian-Swedish team; the plant material was identified by 0. Hedberg (Department of Systematic Botany, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden) in collaboration with A.M. Warfa (Faculty of Agriculture, Somali National University, Mogadishu, Somalia). Some of the material was collected separately in April 1983. The plants were given a number (SMP = Somalian Medicinal Plant) and herbarium specimens were deposited at the Department of Systematic Botany, University of Uppsala, at the Faculty of Agriculture, Somali National University, Mogadishu, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (U.K.).
Extraction The method used for the ethanolic extraction has previously been described (Verpoorte et al, 1982). Aqueous extracts were made by stirring the plant material overnight at room temperature with a ten-fold amount of 2% acetic acid. After filtration, the aqueous extracts were concentrated in vacua and lyophilized. The screening method has been described before (Verpoorte et al., 1982). The extracts were tested at a concentration of 50 mg/ml; in Table 1 the diameters of the zones of inhibition are presented. The following test organisms were used: Bacillus sub tilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10235). Results and discussion
In Table 1 the results of the screening are listed. Of 57 samples, representing 45 plant species, 30 showed activity against gram-positive bacteria. Only one plant extract (Achyranthes aspera) showed activity against the gramnegative bacterium E. coli, and one plant extract (Balanites aegyptica) showed activity against the yeast C. albicans. At the concentration tested, none of the extracts showed an effect against fungi. Similar scores of active extracts were found in the screenings of medicinal plants of Surinam (Verpoorte et al., 1982) and of Senegal (Verpoorte, Le Grand and Wondergem, unpublished results). Considering the activities observed for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts from the same plant material, it can be noted that with the exception of Aerva persica and Terminalia orbicularis the ethanolic extracts are the more active ones.
68
Chasmanthera dependens
3 17 96
95 51
Croton menyhartii Pax Cyperus esculentus L. Cyphostemma adenocaule Willd. & Drumm. Euphorbia robecchi Pax ~uphorbia tirucalli L.
(Steud.
39
Cordia sinensis Lam.
Hochst.
22 54 62 33 37
Aerua persica (Burrnf.) Merrill ~a~anites aegyptica (L.) Del.d Barleria proxima Lindau Caesalpina bonduc (L.) Roxb. Cassia occidentalis L.
ex A. Rich.)
14
Adenium obesum (Forsk.)
Vitaceae Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae Cyperaceae
Boraginaceae
Menispermaceae
Amaranthaceae Zygophyllaceae Acanthaceae Gaesalpiniaceae Caesalpiniaceae
Apocynaceae
Passifloraceae
23
R. & S.
Mimosaceae Mimosaceae Amaranthaceae Bombacaceae
R SB Br
SB L S R
R
R R R AP WP
R
R
R SB R F
Plant parta
FROM SOMALIA
18 58 1 57
Family
PLANTS
Acacia bussei Harms ex SjSstedt Acacia tortilis (Forsk.) Hayne Achyranthes aspera L.’ Adansonia digitata L. Adenia aculeata (Hook.f.) Engl. subsp. mangania (Chiov. ) de Wilde
OF SOME MEDICINAL SMP toll. no.
ACTIVITY
Plant species
ANT~ICROBIAL
TABLE 1
H,O H,O EtOH
H,O, EtOH
Type of extract
Carmo Loley H,O Dharkeen EtOH EtOH Dano
BoqolBireed H,O, EtOH Ombo Gaduud EtOH Hamboohi H,O, EtOH EtOH Shillan Shiish H,O Sabciin H,O Jibaari (= Diir Jinni) H,O Magaagoombe EtOH Mareer Hz0 Hz0 Bogeadde H,O EtOH Qunjo
Galool Qurac Sariibiye Yaaq
Vernacular name
16
-
14
-
14
15 16 -
14
-
-
-
--I--
20 13114 14 -
-
-I-
25
lost
-I-
17120 16 -
S. aureus
18/20b 14 -
B. sub tilis
Diameter zone of inhibition (mm)” observed for a concentration of 50 mglml
E
sycomorus
L.
WP R
Asclepiadaceae
98 25
Premna resinosa (Hochst.) Psorolea coryfolia L.
Solanaceae Solanaceae Chenopodiaceae Combretaceae Malvaceae Annonaceae
64 71 80 21 12 2 61
(L.) R.Br.
Mattei L.s.lat. Forsk. ex. J.F. Gmel.
Terminalia orbicularis Engl. & Diels Thespesia danis Oliv. Uvaria denhard tiana Engl. & Diels
Solanum arundo Solanum nigrum Suaeda monoica
viminale
WP R L SB L R
R F
Verbenaceae Papilionaceae
87 81
Moringa longitu ba Engl. Phyllanthus somalensis Hutch.
Sarcostemma
R R
Moringaceae Euphorbiaceae
Schauer
R L WP R
Compositae Compositae Loranthaceae Capparidaceae
28 43 86 60
Launea cornuta (Hochst. ex Oliv. & Hiern) C. Jeffrey Launea intybacea (Jacq.) Beauv. Loranthus kelleri Engl. Maerua subcordata (Gilg) De Wolf
Jeffrey
R TLIWP
Euphorbiaceae Cucurbitaceae
93 65
Jatropha spicata Pax Kedrostis gijef (Forsk.
ex. J.F. Gmel.)
S
Euphorbiaceae
44
L.
Jatropha
curcas
L R
Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae
27 15
ex DC.
R R
Tiliaceae Boraginaceae
66 29
acquatica Forsk. cicatricosa Bak.
Stend.
SB
Moraceae
48
Ipomoea Ipomoea
Grewia villosa Willd. Heliotropium cinerascens
Ficus
Majabe (or Rawaantir) Jojocle Sisimo (= Geed Biyood) Milaaq Sangooy Aruundo Munafoqow Dalluug Dalluug Bisaq Kabxan Murug
Wanshaquar Kable Fuule ShafaalWeyn Fintir
Maaloole Dameer Qumis CantalMuluug Geed Bunow Mandheerqube
DabaHarraan
Kab;sarey)
Mukey I-&O, EtOH
EtOH
H,O,
EtOH
H,O EtOH EtOH H,O, EtOH EtOH H,O, EtOH H,O EtOH
H,O
EtOH EtOH
Hz0
EtOH
H,O EtOH EtOH
H,O,
H,O, EtOH EtOH
EtOH
H,O,
EtOH
Hz0
16/14 -
-
--I16 20 17/-14 15
-
-
-
_
-
20 18
17 15
Lost
-
20
18 16 13
-
-l-
21
-I-
-I12
-I-
19
17122 -
-
--/-
-/18
-112
-/--
25
-/--
Vatke
47 38
8 63 Rhamnaceae Aizoaceae
Compositae Olacaceae TL R
L R Sumbul Madharuug (=Murcood) Geb (=Gob) Gammane 17 -
16 -
H,O H,O H,O 13
22
20
H,O
a AP = aerial parts, Br = branches, F = fruits, L = leaves, R = roots, S = Seeds, SB = stembark, TL = twigs and leaves, WP = whole plant. b The activity of the aqueous and the ethanolic extract, respectively. ’ Also active against E. coli (diameter zone of inhibition 16 mm). d Also active against C. albicans (diameter zone of inhibition 24 mm). e Concentration tested: 50 mg/ml in holes with a diameter of 10 mm.
Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. Zoleya pentandra (L.) Jeffrey
Vernonia hildebrandtii Ximenia caffra Sond.
288
Acknowledgements One of the authors (ASE) is grateful to Leiden University for a grant that enabled him to do part of the research at the Division of Pharmacognosy at this University. Financial support from SAREC (Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation) for the study of Somalian medicinal plants is gratefully acknowledged. The lyophilized aqueous plant extracts were kindly supplied by Gunnar Samuelsson, Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden. References Elmi, A.S. (1980) Present state of knowledge and research on the plants used in traditional medicine in Somalia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2, 23-27. Verpoorte, R., Tjin, A. Tsoi, A., van Doorne, H. and Baerheim Svendsen, A. (1982) Medicinal plants of Suriname, I. Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 5, 221-226. Dornberger, K. and Lich, H. (1982) Screening nach antimikrobiell sowie potentiell cancerostatisch wirksamen Pflanzeninhaltsstoffen. Pharmazie 37, 215-221.