The powdered roots of the medicinal plant Acacia nilotica were extracted with hexane and ethyl acetate, and the extracts were subjected to column chromatography for the isolation of potentially bioactive compounds and their screening against kinetoplastid pathogens. NMR and HREI mass spectrometric analyses identified two new diterpenes, characterized as 16, 19-dihydroxycassa-12-en-15-one (Sandynone, 1) and (5S, 7R, 8R, 9R, 10S, 13Z, 17S)-7,8:7,17:16,17-triepoxy-7,8-seco-cassa-13-ene (niloticane B, 2). The previously reported (5S,7R,8R,9R,10S) -(-)-7,8-seco-7, 8-oxacassa-13,15-diene-7,17-diol (3), (5S,7R,8R,9R,10S) -(-)-7,8-seco-7, 8-oxacassa-13,15-dien-7-ol-17-al (4), and (5S,7R,8R,9R,10S) -(-)-7,8-seco-7, 8-oxacassa-13,15-dien-7-ol (5) a, mixture of stigmasterol (6a) and sitosterol (6b), and lupeol (7) were also isolated. Several column fractions displayed significant activity against a panel of Trypanosoma and Leishmania spp., and from the most active fraction, compound 4 was isolated with high purity. The compound displayed high activity, particularly against T. brucei, T. evansi, and L. mexicana (0.88–11.7 µM) but only a modest effect against human embryonic kidney cells and no cross-resistance with the commonly used melaminophenyl arsenical and diamidine classes of trypanocides. The effect of compound 4 against L. mexicana promastigotes was irreversible after a 5-h exposure, leading to the sterilization of the culture between 24 and 48 h.

This study investigated the claims of traditional practitioners in the use of Anthocleista djalonensis for the treatment of various diseases and infections in Benue State, Nigeria. The leaves of the plant were collected; air dried; pulverized and successively extracted using hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and methanol by microwave assisted method. The phytochemical analysis of the leaf extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis revealed the presence of glycosides, saponins, terpenes, sterols flavonoids, anthraquinones, resins and balsams in Anthocleista djalonensis leaf. The antimicrobial screening of the hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and methanol extracts were carried out on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin Resistant enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Helicobacter pylori, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using agar-well diffusion method. The antimicrobial studies showed that all the extracts exhibited activities against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin Resistant enterococci, S. aureus, H. pylori, C. albicans, and C. krusei with significant zones of inhibition ranging from 16 - 20 mm for hexane extract, 22 - 28 mm for ethyl acetate extract, 20 - 24 mm for ethanol extract and 20 - 23 mm for methanol extract against test microbes. E. coli, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis and C. tropicalis showed resistance to the extracts; Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extracts against the stated microbes were 5 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL, 2.5 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL respectively for hexane extract. 1.25 mg/mL, 1.25 mg/mL, 0.62 mg/mL, 0.62 mg/mL 0.62 mg/mL and 1.25 mg/mL respectively for ethyl acetate extract; Ethanol and methanol extracts recorded 1.25 mg/mL against all the stated test microbes. The minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration of the extracts against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin Resistant enterococci, S. aureus, H. pylori, C. albicans and C. krusei ranged from 5 mg/mL to 1.25 mg/mL. The results support the use of Anthocleista djalonensis in traditional medicine.

The latex, leaves, stems, and roots of Euphorbia tithymaloides (Euphorbiaceae) have traditionally been used to treat earaches, insect stings, ringworm, toothaches, skin cancer, umbilical hernia, and warts. Approximately 1 kg of the pulverized leaves was macerated successively with hexane and ethyl acetate, and resultant Crude extracts were phytochemically screened using standard established procedures. Ethyl acetate extract was loaded onto a column containing slurry of silica gel. Gradients of hexane in ethyl acetate mobile phase were used to elute the column, affording a total of 130 fractions. Fractions 41-47 gave tiny deposit on evaporation labelled UMPT (m.p: 269-270 oC).Their thin layer chromatography gave a single spot of Rf 0.61.These were combined and labelled UMPT44. Phytochemical screening of UMPT44 gave positive test for phenols and triterpenoids. Antimicrobial screening of UMPT44 showed that it was active against some fungi and bacteria. The zone of inhibition measured 30 mm when tested against Coniophora puteana, 29 mm against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 27 mm against Salmonella typhi, and 26 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, Fusarium oxysporum, and Escherichia coli. Additionally, there was a 25 mm zone of inhibition against Serpula lacrymans. The determination of minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration indicated that UMPT44 holds promise as a potential antimicrobial agent. Based on evaluation of NMR spectral data and comparison with literature reports, UMPT44 was identified as cycloeucalenol transferulate. This is the first time this compound is isolated from the plant

Phytochemical screening of extracts of Tacca leontopetaloides tubers, has afforded the isolation of two novel chalcones, tarkalynins A and B, along with taccalonolide A and its 12-propanoate. Screening of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides stem bark yielded taraxerol acetate, dihydrochelerythrin and fagaramide. These compounds were obtained through column and thin-layer chromatography and identified using NMR and LC-HRMS. The compounds were tested against Trypanosoma brucei brucei s427 and its multi-drug-resistant clone B48, against T. evansi, T. equiperdum, T. congolense, and against L. mexicana. Cytotoxicity was tested against the human HEK293 cell line. The highest activities were observed with dihydrochelerythrin and fagaramide against T. b. brucei s427 and B48, T. evansi, and L. mexicana with EC50 values of 0.5, 0.9, 0.4, and 1.9 µg/mL and of 4.4, 2.7, 2.7, and 3.3 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, tarkalynin A and taraxerol acetate displayed promising activity against T. equiperdum (EC50 = 7.1 and 9.98 µg/mL, respectively). None of these compounds showed significant cross-resistance with existing trypanocides (RF ≈ 1; P>0.05). The compounds displayed low toxicity to human cells, with most exhibiting no growth inhibition at concentrations of 100 or 200 µg/mL. This report provides further evidence of the potential of natural products for combating parasitic diseases.

The phytochemical screening of extracts of Tacca leontopetaloides tubers has afforded the isolation of two novel chalcones, tarkalynins A and B, along with taccalonolide A and its 12-propanoate. The screening of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides stem bark yielded taraxerol acetate, dihydrochelerythrin and fagaramide. These compounds were obtained through column and thin-layer chromatography and identified using NMR and LC-HRMS. The compounds were tested against Trypanosoma brucei brucei s427 and its multi-drug-resistant clone B48, against Trypanosoma evansi, Trypanosoma equiperdum and Trypanosoma congolense, and against Leishmania mexicana. Cytotoxicity was tested against the human HEK293 cell line. The highest activities were observed with dihydrochelerythrin and fagaramide against T. b. brucei s427 and B48, T. evansi, and L. mexicana, with EC₅₀ values of 1.37, 2.559, 1.09, and 5.44 µM and 17.8, 10.9, 10.9, and 13.3 µM, respectively. In addition, tarkalynin A and taraxerol acetate displayed promising activity against T. equiperdum (EC₅₀ = 21.4 and 21.3 µM, respectively). None of these compounds showed significant cross-resistance with existing trypanocides (RF ≈ 1; p > 0.05). The compounds displayed low toxicity to human cells, with most exhibiting no growth inhibition at concentrations of 100, or even 300 µM. This report provides further evidence of the potential use of natural products for combating parasitic diseases.