Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of an extract,fractions, and compounds isolated from Gochnatia pulchra aerial parts

This paper reports on the in vitro antibacterial and invivo anti-inflammatory properties of a hydroethanolic extract of theaerial parts of Gochnatia pulchra (HEGP). It also describes theantibacterial activity of HEGP fractions and of the isolated compounds genkwanin,scutellarin, apigenin, and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, as evaluated by a brothmicrodilution method. While HEGP and its fractions did not provide promising results,the isolated compounds exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity. The mostsensitive microorganism was Streptococcus pyogenes, with minimuminhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 100, 50 and 25 µg/mL for genkwanin and theflavonoids apigenin and scutellarin, respectively. Genkwanin produced an MIC value of25 µg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis. A paw edema model in ratsand a pleurisy inflammation model in mice aided investigation of theanti-inflammatory effects of HEGP. This study also evaluated the ability of HEGP tomodulate carrageenan-induced interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production. Orallyadministered HEGP (250 and 500 mg/kg) inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema.Regarding carrageenan-induced pleurisy, HEGP at 50, 100, and 250 mg/kg diminishedleukocyte migration by 71.43%, 69.24%, and 73.34% (P<0.05), respectively. HEGPsuppressed IL-1β and MCP-1 production by 55% and 50% at 50 mg/kg (P<0.05) and 60%and 25% at 100 mg/kg (P<0.05), respectively. HEGP abated TNF-αproduction by macrophages by 6.6%, 33.3%, and 53.3% at 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg(P<0.05), respectively. HEGP probably exerts anti-inflammatory effects byinhibiting production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP-1.