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Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Constituents of Leaf Extracts of Englerina woodfordioides (Schweinf.) M. Gilbert

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Abstract

Englerina woodfordioides is a hemi-parasitic shrub known for its various ethnomedical uses. Nonetheless, these alleged therapeutic benefits are not scientifically validated. In addition, the study of its phytochemical composition remains unexplored. This study aimed at investigating the antimicrobial activity of E. woodfordioides collected from four different host plants. The antibacterial activities and toxicity of crude leaf extract were evaluated using the agar disk diffusion assay and animal model, respectively. The phytochemical composition of active leaf extracts was determined using LC-MS Q-TOF analysis. The crude chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts of E. woodfordioides did not inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus at 100 mg/ml. Conversely, the methanolic extracts of E. woodfordioides inhibited antibacterial effects against S. aureus. The acute toxicity test using dry methanol extract revealed no signs of toxicity or death of white mice at doses of 175, 550, and 2000 mg/kg body weight. Thirty-four and eleven metabolites were detected in the methanolic extract of E. woodfordioides collected from Schinus molle and Vachellia abyssinica host plants, respectively. The presence of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids may be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of E. woodfordioides. This is the first comprehensive study on the antimicrobial activity, toxicity, and phytochemical constituents of E. woodfordioides collected from different host plants. Further study may reveal the potent bioactive principles with antimicrobial properties.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

E. coli :

Escherichia coli

EPHI:

Ethiopian Public Health Institute

ETH:

National Herbarium at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

EWDP:

Englerina woodfordioides collected from Discopedium penninervum

EWEG:

Englerina woodfordioides collected from Eucalyptus globulus host plant

EWSM:

Englerina woodfordioides collected from Schinus molle host plant

EWVA:

Englerina woodfordioides collected from and Vachellia abyssinica

INT:

p-Iodonitrotetrazolium dye

MBC:

Minimum bactericidal concentration

MHA:

Muller Hinton Agar

MIC:

Minimum inhibitory concentration

OECD:

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guideline

P. aeruginosa :

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

LC-MS Q-TOF/MS:

Liquid chromatograph mass spectroscopy quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

ESI:

Electrospray ionization

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Acknowledgements

We thank Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the EPHI for providing technical support and bacterial strains. AY is grateful to Marlies Spohn, Helmut Spohn and his colleagues at Ethiopian Forest Development, Central Ethiopia Center and AAU for their unreserved assistance and encouragement. We thank Dr Adey Feleke for her motivation during laboratory works and financial assistance for laboratory consumables. Finally, our thanks go to the editor of the Journal and the anonymous reviewer for their critical comments and suggestions to improve the manuscript.

Funding

Partial financial support was received from Addis Ababa University that covers fieldwork expenses and purchase of some laboratory consumables through thematic projects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Abraham Yirgu, Yalemtsehay Mekonnen & Amelework Eyado

  2. Ethiopian Forestry Development, Central Ethiopia Center, P.O. Box 42033, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Abraham Yirgu

  3. Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy

    Alessia Staropoli

  4. Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy

    Alessia Staropoli

  5. Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80133, Naples, Italy

    Francesco Vinale

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  1. Abraham Yirgu
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Correspondence to Abraham Yirgu.

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Yirgu, A., Mekonnen, Y., Eyado, A. et al. Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Constituents of Leaf Extracts of Englerina woodfordioides (Schweinf.) M. Gilbert. Chemistry Africa 6, 845–853 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-022-00535-w

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