Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 912-15. 2008.

 

 

Antimicrobial Studies of Triterpenoid Fractions from Myxopyrum smilacifolium Blume

 

Sudharmini, D.* and Ashalatha S. Nair

 

Department of Botany, University of Kerala, Kariavattom Campus, Thiruvananthapuram, 695581, Kerala, India

*email : sudhachandrababu@yahoo.com

 

Issued 30 October 2008

�

Abstract

����� Triterpenoids isolated from Myxopyrum smilacifolium leaf showed presence of ursolic acid (0.175mg/g). The triterpenoids showed antimicrobial activity in gram positive bacteria and Candida sps.

Keywords: Myxopyrum smilacifolium,Ursolic acid, HPLC, Antimicrobial activity.

1. Plant

Myxopyrum smilacifolium (Oleaceae) is an important medicinal plant widely used in indigenous system of medicine in India. It is a climbing shrub with small yellow flowers commonly known as �chathuramulla�. A voucher specimen is deposited in the Herbarium of the Department of Botany, University of Kerala (No.KUBOT-2837).

2. Use in traditional medicine

��������� The leaves are useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and vata, cough, asthma, rheumatism, cephalalgia, nostalgia, fever, otopathy, neuropathy and cuts and wounds. Roots are useful in scabies and prurigo in children [1]

3.      Previously isolated classes of constituent

Iridoid glucosides, namely myxopyroside [2].

4.      New constituents

������� Isolation of triterpenoid fractions by silica gel thin layer chromatography using the mobile phase� petroleum: dichloroethylene: acetic acid (50:50:0.7) [3]., HPLC analysis of ursolic acid and antimicrobial activity by using filter paper disc diffusion method [4, 5].

5.� Used materials

������� Ursolic acid standard was collected from Sigma, Aldrich, London and all microorganisms were obtained from Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC), Chandigarh, India.

6.� Results

Reported in figure1 and 2, and� Table1.

7.� Conclusions

Ursolic acid is found in the leaves of Myxopyrum smilacifolium. All the tripterpenoids from the plant showed antimicrobial activity against the gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida� albicans and C. glabrata. The antifungal activity was similar to the chemical fungicide.

Acknowledgements

��������� The first author is thankful to University Grant Commission (UGC), Government of India, New Delhi for financial assistance as Teacher fellowship. The help provided by Dr. N. S. Pradeep, Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram is also greatly acknowledged.

References

[1] Varier P S, Indian medical plants: a compendium of 500 species, vol.4. Madras: Orient Longman Limited; 1995.p.98.

[2] Franzyk H, Jensen S R, Olsen C E. J Nat Prod 2001; 64:632-633.

[3] Harborne J B. Phytochemical Methods: A guide to modern technique of plant analysis. 3rd ed. London: Chapman and Hall, 1998.P.134.

[4] Liu C H., Liu Y. China journal of Chinese materia medica 2002; 27(12):916-918.

[5] Benson H J. Microbiological applications. 5th ed. USA: C. Brown Publ:1990.P.134.

 

Table 1. Antimicrobial activities of isolated triterpenopid fractions of

������������ Myxopyrum smilacifolium.

 

Microorganisms

 

TTR *

10(�g / disc)

Streptomycin / Fluconazole

2(�g / disc)

Fr1

Fr2

Fr3

Fr4

Fr5

 

Zone of inhibition (mm)a

 

Escherichia� coli

Klebsiella pneumonia

Proteus vulgaris

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas Fluorescens

Salmonella tuphi

Serratia marcescens

Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus

Bacillus subtilis

Candida� albicans

Candida� albicans

Candida� albicans

Candida glabrata

 

MTCC443

MTCC109

MTCC 426

MTCC741

MTCC 103

MTCC 733

MTCC 97

MTCC 96

MTCC2940

MTCC443

MTCC227

MTCC 3017

MTCC3019

MTCC1637

 

7

-

-

6.5

-

6.5

-

7.5

8.5

-

7

8

-

7

 

6.5

-

-

-

-

6.5

8

-

6.5

7

-

6.5

8

6.5

 

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

7

6.5

7

7.5

7

8

7.5

 

7.5

7

-

-

-

8

-

7.5

7.5

6.5

7

6.5

7.5

-

 

7

7

-

-

-

7.5

7

6.5

6.5

6.5

7

7

-

-

 

24

18

20

20

19

20

22

22

21

15

8

12

11

8.5

Values are the mean of three replicates.������� TTR*- Triterpenoid����������������

a �Including the diameter of the filter paper disk (6mm).

����������������������������������

Fig 1. Ursolic acid HPLC profile at 205nm.


 

Fig 2. Myxopyrum smilacifolium� fraction (hRf 20) HPLC profile.