Antibacterial Activity and Proposed Mode of Action of Extracts from Selected Zimbabwean Medicinal Plants against .

was identified by the WHO as a priority pathogen in which the research and development of new antibiotics is urgently needed. Plant phytochemicals have potential as sources of new antimicrobials. The objective of the study was to determine the antibacterial activity of extracts of selected Zimbabwean medicinal plants against and determine their possible mode of action.

Kigelia africana fruit fractions inhibit in vitro alpha-glucosidase activity: a potential natural alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.

Background: Diabetes affects 75% of people in low-income countries, where conventional drugs like metformin are available, but newer drugs like alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are not accessible to most Southern African patients.

Aim: To evaluate the α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of fractionated aqueous extracts of Kigelia africana fruit (KAFE) and their phytochemical fingerprints using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Materials And Methods: We studied K.

Fractionation and Antibacterial Evaluation of the Surface Compounds from the Leaves of on Selected Pathogenic Bacteria.

is traditionally used for the treatment of many infections, including bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to fractionate and evaluate antibacterial activity of the crude extract of , as well as the surface compounds from the leaves of , in two pathogenic bacteria, and . The antibacterial activities of fractions obtained from chromatographic separations were determined using broth microdilution assay on the laboratory and clinical strains of and .

Evaluation of the Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Effects of Ethyl Acetate Root Extracts from (Asteraceae) against .

There is an increase in mortality and morbidity in the health facilities due to nosocomial infections caused by multidrug-resistant nosocomial bacteria; hence, there is a need for new antibacterial agents. has been found to possess medicinal value. Plant phytochemicals may have antimicrobial activity against some resistant pathogens.

(Baker f.) R. Fern. & A. Fern. Root Extract Inhibits the Production of Extracellular Proteases by .

Treatment of infections caused by has become a challenge due to the emergency of resistant strains. root extracts have been used in traditional medicine to treat throat and chest pains in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of root bark extracts on the production of extracellular proteases by .

The Effects of Tormentic Acid and Extracts from on and Growth and Inhibition of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in .

and are the leading causes of human fungal infections worldwide. There is an increase in resistance of pathogens to existing antifungal drugs leading to a need to find new sources of antifungal agents. Tormentic acid has been isolated from different plants including and has been found to possess antimicrobial properties, including antifungal activity.

Antibiofilm Activity of Extract and a Compound Isolated from against .

has been used as a traditional medicine in Africa. It is documented as a rich source of phytochemicals with antibacterial activities. To further explore the antibacterial potential of these phytochemical components, the phytochemical profile of the dichloromethane: methanol leaf extract from .

Isolation and Antimicrobial Activities of Phytochemicals from (Chrysobalanaceae).

The widespread use of antimicrobial agents to treat infectious diseases has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Plants have played a central role in combating many ailments in humans, and has been used for medicinal purposes. Seven extracts from leaves were prepared using serial exhaustive extraction of nonpolar to polar solvents.

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Effect of the Extracts of the Pods of (Schumach.) Milne-Redh. (Fabaceae).

Plants have been used traditionally by people in treating and the management of diseases since time immemorial. Traditional medicines including the herbal medicines are used for primary healthcare in some domains in almost every country. Approximately 80% of the population in developing coutries depend on plants as their source of medicine for combating diseases.

The Effects of Combining Cancer Drugs with Compounds Isolated from Sond. and Welw. ex M.A. Lawson (Combretaceae) on the Viability of Jurkat T Cells and HL-60 Cells.

and have been shown to have anticancer, antibacterial, antituberculosis, and antifungal effects in both and studies. This study sought to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of compounds isolated from and on Jurkat T and HL-60 cancer cell lines in combination with doxorubicin and/or chlorambucil. At their GI concentrations, the isolated compounds were combined with the corresponding GI of chlorambucil and doxorubicin.

An Evaluation of the Antibacterial Properties of Tormentic Acid Congener and Extracts From on Selected ESKAPE Pathogens and Effects on Biofilm Formation.

ESKAPE pathogens, namely, , , , , and species, are responsible for a majority of all healthcare-acquired infections (HAI). The bacteria cause nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients. Extracts from have been shown to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Determination of the Cytotoxic Effect of Different Leaf Extracts from (Chrysobalanaceae).

Despite plants being a rich source of useful chemical compounds with different pharmacological properties, some of these compounds may be toxic to humans. , among its other important pharmacological activities, has been shown to have significant antiproliferative activity on cancer cell lines. Toxicity studies are required to determine the safety profile of in the consideration of its potential pharmaceutical benefits as a source of lead compounds in cancer therapy.

Phytochemical Fingerprinting and Activity of Extracts from the Leaves of (Fabaceae) on Jurkat-T Cells.

Plants are a source of over a quarter of the prescription drugs currently in use worldwide. Zimbabwe has a rich plant biodiversity with only a limited number reported for the treatment of cancer. The leaf extracts of were selected for the screening of their antiproliferative efficacy and cytotoxicity effects.

Repurposing of Drugs for Antibacterial Activities on Selected ESKAPE Bacteria and .

Increasing cases of multidrug-resistant pathogens have evolved into a global health crisis. ESKAPE group of bacteria are associated with antibiotic resistance, and infections caused by these pathogens result in high mortality and morbidity. However, synthesis of antibiotics is expensive and time-consuming since the development of a new drug has to go through several clinical trials.

Effects of Tormentic Acid and the Extracts from on the Production of Extracellular Proteases by .

is among the common nosocomial pathogens. Antibiotics have been used to treat infections. However, there has been increased mortality associated with drug-resistant strains of .

Antibacterial activities, proposed mode of action and cytotoxicity of leaf extracts from Triumfetta welwitschii against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a main cause of Gram-negative infection, particularly in patients with compromised immunity. High rates of resistance to antibiotics are associated with nosocomial infections caused by P. aeruginosa strains.

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of chondrillasterol isolated from Vernonia adoensis (Asteraceae).

Background: Bacteria have developed resistance to most of the current antibiotics. There is evidence suggesting that plant-derived compounds have a potential for interacting with biological processes. One of the plants commonly used in African ethnomedicine is Vernonia adoensis from the Asteraceae family.

The Genetics of Warfarin Dose-Response Variability in Africans: An Expert Perspective on Past, Present, and Future.

Coumarins such as warfarin are prescribed for prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders. Warfarin remains the most widely prescribed and an anticoagulant of choice in Africa. Warfarin use is, however, limited by interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics and a narrow therapeutic index.

Development of an accumulation assay and evaluation of the effects of efflux pump inhibitors on the retention of chlorhexidine digluconate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) is used as a disinfectant. The emergence of pathogens resistant to the biocide raises health concern. Information on specific efflux mechanisms utilised by bacteria to confer reduced susceptibility to the biocide, may be used to develop ways of preventing the efflux of the biocide from nosocomial pathogens resulting in higher disinfection activity.

Inhibition of biofilm formation in Mycobacterium smegmatis by Parinari curatellifolia leaf extracts.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health problem worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) grows as drug tolerant pellicles.

Alkaloid extracts from Combretum zeyheri inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Background: Current tuberculosis regimens have failed to combat the issue of drug resistance and ethno medicines may represent a possible source of antimycobacterial agents. Combretum species are well known in African traditional medicines and used for various ailments including pneumonia, venereal diseases like syphilis, mental problems, relief of sore throats and colds, fever, and chest coughs associated with tuberculosis. Alkaloids function as either hydrogen-acceptor or hydrogen-donor in hydrogen bonding critical for the interaction between targets thus, potentiating effects of curative agents on diseases.

Multiple cellular effects of leaf extracts from Parinari curatellifolia.

Background: Parinari curatellifolia is a prominent plant in folk medicine in Sub-Saharan Africa. The plant decoctions are used to treat various ailments, including the treatment of cancer, pneumonia, fever, microbial infections and anti-inflammation. The aims of the study were to investigate the effects of P.

In vivo and in vitro inhibition of rat liver glutathione transferases activity by extracts from Combretum zeyheri (Combretaceae) and Parinari curatellifolia (Chrysobalanaceae).

Background: Parinari curatellifolia and Combretum zeyheri are medicinal plants used in Zimbabwe and other Southern African countries for stomach ailments, fever, body aches, wound healing, cancer and tuberculosis. Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are mammalian enzymes that play a significant role in the detoxification and metabolism of many xenobiotic and endogenous compounds and as such can interact with many exogenous compounds including herbal medicines. The effects of Parinari curatellifolia and Combretum zeyheri leaf extracts on glutathione transferases of male Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated in vivo and in vitro after oral administration of either leaf ethanol or water extracts of each plant.

In vitro toxicity determination of antifungal constituents from Combretum zeyheri.

Background: Candida albicans is one of the organisms living on the human body symbiotically, but, in hosts with low immunity it becomes one of the most pathogenic fungal organisms. Combretum zeyheri has been reported to have antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Medicinal plants are believed to be non-toxic by the general public.