Poster Presenter

Antibicrobial Activity of the Root Bark Extract and Compounds of Terminalia Avicennioides
Abdullahi – Mann, J. O. Amupitan, A. O. Oyewale, K. Ibrahim, J. I. Okogun
Nigeria

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Terminalia avicennioides Guill & Perr (Combretaceae) has been used traditionally as herbal remedies for centuries in West Africa for the treatment of several diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, syphilis, dental caries and skin infections, tuberculosis and cough.

Aim of the study: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-oxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial activities which support the therapeutic use of T. avicennioides for treating these infectious diseases and to investigate the cytotoxicity of the extracts and the compounds responsible for these selected biological activities.

Materials and methods: The ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of T. avicennioides root barks were fractionated using solid phase extraction and purified by column chromatography. Structure elucidation was performed with nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the Brine Shrimp Toxicity test and agar well diffusion technique were employed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects and the antimicrobial activities of the ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts and subsequent compounds respectively.

Results: Potent cytotoxicity have been found for both PE and EtOAc extracts with the PE extract which exhibited remarkable toxicity on brine shrimp larvae at ED50 (63.7 µg/ml;122.6-30.6 confidence interval).

Conclusion: This study provides proof of efficacy of the extracts of T. avicennioides in treating bacterial infections and addition provide evidence of cytotoxic and antimicrobial compounds present in T. avicennioides that might prove its potential medicinal value, but further clinical studies is required.