Antibacterial Activity and Toxicity of the Sap and Aqueous Extract of the Leaves of Jatropha multifida Linn

Introduction: Jatropha multifida Lin was a plant of traditional Beninese medicine used as an antibiotic. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity and the toxicity of the sap and the aqueous extract of Jatropha multifida leaves. Methods: Phytochemical screening of Jatropha multifida leaves was carried out. The extract was obtained by maceration. The antimicrobial activity of sap and leaves was evaluated on the five strains of hospital germs. Acute oral toxicity by forced gavage in a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight was performed on female Wistar rats. Biochemical and hematological parameters were determined. Results: The presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, anthocyanins, mucilages, leuco-anthocyanins and saponosides was noted in the leaves of Jatropha multifida. The aqueous extracts of the leaves inhibited two strains of Staphylococcus aureus out of three, while the sap of Jatropha multifida was 100% bactericidal against the strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus D. The sap and aqueous leaf extract were not bactericidal on strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For the toxicity, there was no death of rats and the aqueous extract of the leaves did not significantly vary the weight of the rats, the creatinine, the ALAT transaminase, the hemoglobin level, the number of white blood cells and blood platelets. Conclusion: The sap of Jatropha multifida exerted a more effective antibacterial activity than the aqueous extract of its leaves. The leaves were not acutely toxic.

Isolation of antileishmanial,antimalarial and antimicrobial metabolites from Jatropha multifida

Objective:To investigate the antileishinanial,antimicrobial and antimalarial activities of the pure metabolites from Jatropha multifida used in African ethnomedicine.Methods:The methanolic stem bark extract of Jatropha multifida used in Nigerian folk medicine as remedy against bacterial infections was subjected to column chromatography and HPLC analyses lo obtain three known metabolites,microcyclic lathyrane dilerpenoids(1-3).Structures were confirmed by comparison of 1D and 2D spectral data with literature.Results:The three compounds exhibited inhibition of antileishmanial,antimalarial and antimicrobial actions against the tested organisms with compouds 2 and 3 active against Cryptococcus neoformans at IC_(50)of 82 and 8.7 μg/ml,respectively.Conclusions:The research lends support to the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in combating microbial infections,leishmaniasis and malarial infections.