Biological activity of traditional medicinal plants used against lymphatic filariasis in the eastern Free State

Abstract

For centuries medicinal plants have been used for treatment of various diseases. Most frequently, the majority of people in the eastern Free State depend on traditional medicinal plants for their daily health care due to its affordability. A pharmacological survey was conducted from February till December 2015, with the aim of investigating the traditional medicinal plants used by traditional healers and herbalists from the eastern Free State. The information gathered from the constructed interview revealed 12 plants species belonging to 12 plant families. From the compiled list, frequently used plants were selected, collected and screened for the presence of antimicrobial and cytotoxicity properties. Dioscorea sylvatica (Eckl. Var. Sylvatica) aqueous and ethanol extracts displayed the best activities against Candida albicans with MIC values of 0.65 and 0.049 mg/ml, respectively. Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels, acetone and ethanol extracts showed the minimal activity against fungal strain with MIC values of 1.56 mg/ml. Extracts prepared from E. elephantina and D. sylvatica also displayed good antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.40 to 0.098 mg/ml. Concerning antimycobacterial activity, extracts prepared from Pentanisia prunelloides (Klotzsch ex Exckl. & Zeyh.) Walp, and D. sylvatica inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis with MIC values ranging between 0.78 to 0.195 mg/ml. Ethanol and acetone extracts prepared from E. elephantina displayed the best activity with MIC value of 0.195 mg/ml. Cytotoxicity of plant extracts was tested using HuTu cells. Tested extracts of D. sylvatica revealed that acetone extracts were less toxic compared to ethanol extracts. P. prunelloides ethanol and acetone extracts showed high cell viability