New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts
Screening of 50 Cunoniaceae species from New Caledonia for antimicrobial properties
B. Fogliani
S. Bouraïma-Madjebi
V. Medevielle
R. Pineau
L.B.P.V.A.: Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie Végétales Appliquées
Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
BP 4477, 98847 Nouméa, New Caledonia
Email: bfoglian@univ-nc.nc
Abstract Some species of the Cunoniaceae are reputed to possess medicinal properties. An investigation of 50 species of this family in New Caledonia has permitted the screening of 204 extracts (101 ethyl acetate extracts and 103 methanol extracts) for antimicrobial activities against one yeast (Candida albicans), one filamentous fungus (Fusarium oxysporum), and eight bacterial species (Erwinia carotovora, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium accolans, Bacillus subtilis). Ninety-six per cent of the plants exhibited antimicrobial activity, with a significant difference in the number of responses between fungi (18.8%) and bacteria (81.2%). Moreover, Gram +ve strains appear more sensitive than Gram -ve ones. The most active plants were Acsmithia meridionalis, A. pedunculata, Cunonia macrophylla, C. vieillardii, Pancheria alaternoides, and P. elegans. Cunonia macrophylla appears to be the best candidate for a chemical investigation using bioguided fractionation as extracts from its leaves and flowers effectively inhibited six strains (one yeast, two Gram -ve bacteria and three Gram +ve bacteria).
Keywords antibacterial activity; antifungal activity; Cunoniaceae; ethyl acetate extract; methanol extract; New Caledonia
B02003 Received 7 January 2002; accepted 31 May 2002; published 11 September 2002
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2002, Vol. 40: 511-520
0028-825X/02/4003-0511 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002
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