Biological activity of saponins from two Dracaena species

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
Christopher OkunjiJ D Tally

Abstract

Many species of the west African "soap tree" Dracaena are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases. In continuation of our search for anti-infective agents from plants implicated in traditional medicine, we evaluated the biological activities of saponins from extracts of Dracaena mannii and Dracaena arborea by using a battery of test systems such as radiorespirometry, Cytosensor bioautography, and agar dilution methods and molluscicidal tests. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the methanol extracts of seed pulp using a combination of chromatographic techniques, gel filtration, droplet countercurrent chromatography (DCCC), and low-pressure liquid chromatography (Lobar), led to the isolation and characterization of spiroconazole A, a pennogenin triglycoside [3 beta-O-[(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2), alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-17 alpha-hydroxyl-spirost-5-ene] (Fig. 1). As the active constituent, spiroconazole A exhibited pronounced antileishmanial, antimalarial, and molluscicidal activities. This paper also reports on the fungistatic, fungicidal and bacteriostatic activity of spiroconazole A against 17 species of fungi and 4 of bacteria.

Citations

May 3, 2014·International Journal of Impotence Research·P WatchoM Carro-Juarez
Jul 18, 2019·Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology·Pierre WatchoPierre Kamtchouing
Dec 5, 2012·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Ramzi A MothanaLouis Maes

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