Antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities of Distictis buccinatoria

Abstract

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of six crude extracts obtained from the leaves and flowers of Distictis buccinatoria (DC.) A.H. Gentry (Bignoniaceae). Antimicrobial activity was tested against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus faecalis; the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhi; and the fungi Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus niger. The cytotoxic activity of each extract was determined using two human tumor cell lines in culture, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB) and colon carcinoma (HCT-15). The results showed that extracts from D. buccinatoria possess antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive bacteria and against both dermatophyte fungal species. The strongest antibacterial activity observed was that of the dichloromethane extract prepared from flowers, and the best antifungal activity was demonstrated by the dichloromethane extract from the leaves. The hexane and dichloromethane extracts from the flowers exhibited cytotoxicity against KB cells. These results support the traditional folk medicinal uses of this plant. © 2007 Informa Healthcare.