TRITERPENE FROM THE STEM BARK OF PSOROSPERMUM SENEGALENSE (SPACH) INHIBITS TUBERCLOSIS
Dr. Hajara Momoh*, Habila, J. D., Ayo R. G. and Ndukwe G.I.
ABSTRACT
Psorospermum senegalense which is traditionally used in the treatment of tuberclosis (TB) in Northern Nigeria was investigated. Preliminary antimicobacteria studies on the ethyl acetate (EA), hexane (HE), dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (ME) extracts showed activity at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.5 mg/mL for EA extract, while other extracts did not show activity. Chromatographic purification of the EA extract led to the isolation of a triterpene (P2) whose structures was established to be α-amyrin, by 1H, 13C NMR and by comparison with spectral data from literature. Biological evaluation of P2 showed that it inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) at MIC of 125μg/mL and 62.5 μg/mL against Shigella dysenteriae. These results clearly shows that P. Senegalensis has potential that can be explore in the search for anti-TB drug from nature.
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