Antimicrobial Activities of Some Constituents Isolated from a Kenyan Medicinal Plant, Capparis fascicularis DC
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Date
2023-10
Authors
Kagika, Mary W.
Chhabra, Sumesh C.
Nonoh, James O. M.
Hassanali, Ahmed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi
Abstract
Background of the Study. Capparis fascicularis DC. is an indigenous medicinal plant belonging to the family Capparaceae found in Nyandarua County, Nairobi, Kenya, and many parts of Africa. It is a shrub whose roots are used traditionally to treat colds. Aim. The aim of the present study is to carry out antimicrobial activities of solvent extracts of diferent parts of Capparis fascicularis, characterize
the phytochemical constituents of the most active extract, and identify the most active compounds. Place and Duration of the Study. All
the experiments were carried out in the departments of Chemistry and Microbiology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Methodology. Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts from the leaves, stem bark, and root bark of C. fascicularis
were screened against selected strains of both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative
(Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli) bacteria using disc difusion and tube dilution methods. Fractionation of the most active
crude extract was carried out by column chromatography, and the fractions together with the most active crude extract were screened
against the selected bacterial strains. Te most active fraction was further fractionated, and the subfractions were screened against the
bacterial strains to test for possible synergistic efects between the subfractions and their constituents. Te most active fraction was then
analysed by GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS methods to identify the major constituents. Results. Te ethyl acetate extract of C. fascicularis root
bark (CFR2) showed a signifcant in vitro antibacterial activity. From the seven fractions of CFR2 obtained, fraction 2 (F2) had the
lowest MIC value and was thus most active. Moreover, F2 was found to be more active compared to the four subfractions obtained from
it. Tis suggested that constituents of F2 worked in synergy. Fraction 2 contained phenols, terpenes, and favonoids. Two compounds
were identifed by GC-MS as 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, while three compounds were identifed by LC-ESI-MS
as tanshinone II A, cryptotanshinone, and danshensu. Conclusion. Te study revealed that CFR2 is the most active extract on bacteria,
suggesting that most antimicrobial compounds are concentrated in the roots of C. fascicularis. A follow-up study is directed towards
chromatographic separations to obtain the other chemical constituents and screen them against various strains of bacteria.
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Citation
Kagika, M. W., Chhabra, S. C., Nonoh, J. O., & Hassanali, A. (2023). Antimicrobial Activities of Some Constituents Isolated from a Kenyan Medicinal Plant, Capparis fascicularis DC. Journal of Chemistry, 2023.