ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the antibacterial activity of the leaf methanol extracts of five different species of Vitex namely, Vitex altissima (V. altissima), Vitex diversifolia (V. diversifolia), Vitex negundo (V. negundo), Vitex peduncularis (V. peduncularis) and Vitex trifolia (V. trifolia). METHODS: Antibacterial assay was carried out by using disc diffusion method, determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against five strains of Gram-positive and seven strains of Gram-negative human pathogenic bacterial strains. RESULTS: The results of antibacterial activity of Vitex species showed that the extracts possessed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. The V. peduncularis possessed the highest activity against all the microorganisms screened. It produced a zone of inhibition ranged between (11.000 ± 0.577) and (22.670 ± 0.667) mm and the MIC values were from 62.5 to 1 000.0 µg/mL and the MBC values were from 125.0 to 2 000.0 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the present study, V. peduncularis is recommended for the isolation of antibacterial molecule responsible for the activity against the tested human pathogenic bacterial strains.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Vitex/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Gram-Negative Bacteria/growth & development , Gram-Negative Bacteria/pathogenicity , Gram-Positive Bacteria/growth & development , Gram-Positive Bacteria/pathogenicity , Humans , Methanol/chemistry , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/chemistryABSTRACT
Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) extracts of four halophytic plants, viz. Arthrocnemum indicum, Salicornia brachiata, Suaeda maritima and Suaeda monoica belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae, were prepared and their composition was analyzed by GC-MS. The FAME extracts were also screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of more saturated fatty acids than unsaturated fatty acids. Among the fatty acids analyzed, the relative percentage of lauric acid was high in S. brachiata (61.85%). The FAME extract of S. brachiata showed the highest antibacterial and antifungal activities among the extracts tested. The other three extracts showed potent antibacterial and moderate anticandidal activities.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/isolation & purification , Antifungal Agents/isolation & purification , Chenopodiaceae/chemistry , Chenopodiaceae/classification , Fatty Acids/isolation & purification , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Aspergillus/drug effects , Candida/drug effects , Esters/isolation & purification , Fatty Acids/pharmacology , Gram-Negative Bacteria/classification , Gram-Positive Bacteria/classification , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
The larvicidal activity of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) extracts of Vitex altissima, Vitex negundo and Vitex trifolia was studied against early fourth-instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus. The fatty composition was analysed by gas chromatography. The highest percentage of lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and linolenic acid were recorded in V. negundo. The highest percentage of linolenic acid was recorded in V. trifolia. The FAME extract of V. trifolia showed the highest larvicidal activity with an LC50 value of 9.25 ppm followed by V. altissima (14.82 ppm) and V. negundo (18.64 ppm).
Subject(s)
Culex/drug effects , Fatty Acids/pharmacology , Insecticides/pharmacology , Larva/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Vitex/chemistry , Animals , Fatty Acids/isolation & purification , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Insecticides/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
The essential oil from the leaves of Blumea mollis was extracted and the chemical constituents and the larvicidal against Culex quinquefasciatus effects studied. The analyses of gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) revealed that the leaf essential oil of B. mollis contained 39 compounds, and the major chemical compounds identified were linalool (19.43%), gamma-elemene (12.19%), copaene (10.93%), estragole (10.81%), Allo-ocimene (10.03%), gamma-terpinene (8.28%) and Allo-aromadendrene (7.44%). The essential oil had significant toxic effect against early fourth-instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus with LC50=71.71 and LC90=143.41 ppm. The results could be useful in search of newer, safer and more effective natural larvicidal agent against C. quinquefasciatus.
Subject(s)
Asteraceae/chemistry , Culex/drug effects , Insecticides/chemistry , Insecticides/pharmacology , Larva/drug effects , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Animals , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Insecticides/isolation & purification , Oils, Volatile/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistryABSTRACT
The early fourth instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus, reared in the laboratory were used for larvicidal assay with leaf extracts of Vitex negundo, Vitex trifolia, Vitex peduncularis and Vitex altissima. The methanol extracts of the four species possessed varying levels of larvicidal nature. The highest larvicidal activity was found with the extract of V. trifolia (LC(50) = 41.41 ppm) followed by V. peduncularis (LC(50) = 76.28 ppm), V. altissima (LC(50) = 128.04 ppm) and V. negundo (LC(50) = 212.57 ppm).
