Individual and Combined Antibacterial Activity of Crude Extracts from Medicinal Plants Carissa spinarum Linn and Carica papaya Linn.

Aim: To assess inhibitory effect of extracts, alone and in combination, from Carissa spinarum Linn (C. spinarum L.) and Carica papaya Linn (C. papaya L.) on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The combined extracts used were C. papaya L leaves petroleum ether extract/C. spinarum L root methanolic extract (CPLP/CSRM), C. spinarum L leaves petroleum ether extract/C. papaya L seed ethanolic extract (CSLP/CPSE), C. spinarum L root ethanolic extract/C. papaya L leaves ethanolic extract (CSRE/CPLE), C. papaya L root ethanolic extract/C. spinarum L bark ethanolic extract (CPRE/CSBE) and C. papaya L leaves methanolic extract/C. spinarum L leaves methanolic extract (CPLM/CSLM). Study Design: In vitro antibacterial assay. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Samunge village at Loliondo in Ngorongoro district located in northern Tanzania. Antimicrobial bioassay was carried out at the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Dar-es- Salaam, between March 2013 and June 2013. Methodology: The broth micro dilution method was used to determine minimum inhibition concentration (MIC). Fractional inhibitory concentrations were calculated from MICs of individual and combined extracts to determine interactions. Results: Plant extracts demonstrated MICs ranging from 312 to 5000 μg/ml. The combination of plant extracts against S. aureus resulted into antibacterial activity of CPSE, CPRE, CPLM, CSLM and CPLP extracts to increase by 4-, 2-, 4-, 4-, and 2-fold, respectively. Activity of CSLP, CPLM and CSLM increased by 2-fold against E. coli. Synergy was demonstrated by CPLM/CSLM against S. aureus. Some combinations were additive including CPRE/CSBE, CPLP/CSRM and CSLP/CPSE against S. aureus and CSLP/CPSE, CPRE/CSBE, CPLM/CSLM against E. coli. Nevertheless, antagonism was demonstrated by CSRE/CPLE, CPLP/CSRM against E. coli and CSLP/CPSE and CSRE/CPLE against S. aureus. Conclusion: This study revealed the importance of using plant-based antibacterial agents in combined therapy to increase efficacy. Extracts of C. spinarum L and C. papaya L could be a source of antibacterial agents when utilized in combination therapy for patients with severe E. coli and staphylococcal infections. These predictors, however, need to be validated to improve their quality.

ACTIVO-I Study Report - A Retrospective Prescription Event Monitoring for Safety and Efficacy of Waist Circumference in the Management of Overweight and Obesity.

The study was conducted on the combination of bioactive ingredients [Bioactives; Hoodia Gordonii, Hydroxycitric Acid (the active ingredient in Garcinia cambogia), Green tea extract, Ginger extract and Piperine] to estimate its safety and efficacy in decreasing the body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) after treatment. Design and methods: The study was retrospective prescription event monitoring study. Total 99 overweight and obese patients (52 males and 47 females; mean age 45.45 ± 10.20 years) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were administered one capsule of Bioactives orally one hour before lunch and dinner daily for 90 days. All subjects were given standard advice regarding healthy food choices in their diet and physical activity. However, subjects were not advised to restrict dietary calorie intake. Clinical examination, BW, BMI and WC were estimated in all subjects at baseline and at the end of 30, 60 and 90 days. Observations: Bioactives was found to be significantly effective in decreasing BW by 4.36%, 7.12 % and 10.25% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and these results were statistically significant (p = 0.002, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). BMI was also reduced with Bioactives by 5.11%, 9.83% and 11.88% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and results were statistically significant (p <0.0001, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). Bioactives was found to be significantly effective in decreasing WC by 3.28%, 5.29% and 7.31% at 30, 60 and 90 days respectively and these results were statistically significant (p = 0.0023, p <0.0001 and p <0.0001 respectively). Bioactives can be rated as good to very good based on results observed on 66% patients. Side effect or adverse event was not reported in any case. Conclusion: Bioactives appears to be significantly effective in decreasing the BW, BMI and WC within 30, 60 and 90 days in overweight and obese patients. Bioactives has excellent tolerability as adverse event was not reported in any case.