Antibacterial, mutagenic properties and chemical characterisation of sugar bush (Protea caffra meisn.): A South African native shrub species

0539018 - ÚEB 2021 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Vambe, M. - Aremu, A.O. - Chukwujekwu, J. C. - Grúz, Jiří - Luterová, Andrea - Finnie, J.F. - Van Staden, J.
Antibacterial, mutagenic properties and chemical characterisation of sugar bush (Protea caffra meisn.): A South African native shrub species.
Plants. Roč. 9, č. 10 (2020), s. 1-14, č. článku 1331. E-ISSN 2223-7747
Institutional support: RVO:61389030
Keywords : Antimicrobial * Diarrhoea * Drug-resistance * gc-ms * Mutagenicity * Proteaceae * uhplc- ms/ms
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 3.935, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Open access
http://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101331

Protea caffra is used as a diarrhoeal remedy in South African herbal medicine, however, its pharmacological properties remain largely unknown. In the present study, extracts from different Protea caffra organs were screened against drug-sensitive andresistant diarrhoeagenic pathogens using the microdilution assay (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC). Twig extracts (70% methanol, MeOH) of the plant were purified and the resultant fractions screened for antibacterial properties (MIC). The chemical profiles of the fractions were determined by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), while ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used to quantify the phenolic acids in the plant. The mutagenic properties of bioactive extracts were assessed using the Ames test. The extracts demonstrated weak-moderate antibacterial properties (MIC: 0.3–0.6 mg/mL). A cold ethyl acetate fraction of MeOH twig extract exhibited significant antibacterial properties (MIC = 0.078 mg/mL) against Enterococcus faecalis. The presence of antibacterial compounds (1-adamantane carboxylic acid, heptacosanol, levoglucosan, nonadecanol) in the plant was putatively confirmed based on GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed varying concentrations of phenolic acids (0.08– 374.55 μg/g DW). Based on the Ames test, the extracts were non-mutagenic thereby suggesting their safety. To a certain degree, the current study supports the traditional use of Protea caffra to manage diarrhoea among local communities in South Africa.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0316762