A comparative study of the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties between outdoor grown and micropropagated Tulbaghia violacea Harv. plants

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 134; no. 3; pp. 775 - 780
• Main Authors: Ncube, B., Ngunge, V.N.P., Finnie, J.F., Van Staden, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 12.04.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Alkanes - chemistry; Allium - chemistry; Allium - growth & development; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial; Antibacterial activity; Antifungal; Antifungal activity; Antimicrobial agents; Asthma; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - drug effects; Dichloromethane; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Ethanol; Fever; Flavonoids; General pharmacology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Klebsiella pneumoniae - drug effects; Medical sciences; Medicinal plants; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Micropropagation; Minimum inhibitory concentration; Mycobacterium; petroleum ether; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenolic compounds; Phenols - analysis; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Saponins; Saponins - analysis; Spectrophotometry; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Tannic acid; Tuberculosis; Tulbaghia violacea; DE; Saponins; Antifungal; MIC; MS; EtOH; GAE; Micropropagation; MFC; Antibacterial; Phenolic compounds; ATCC; Tulbaghia violacea; INT; DCM; NAA; CFU; YM; CTE; PE; LC; PGR; BA; Phytochemical compound; Monocotyledones; Pharmacognosy; Ornamental crop; Pesticide crop; Antimicrobial agent; Medicinal plant; Saponin; Liliaceae; Antifungal agent; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Glycoside; Antibacterial agent; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.039

Tulbaghia violacea is used in South African traditional medicine. A comparison between micropropagated and outdoor grown plants showed a comparable antibacterial activity and higher phenolics and saponin yields in micropropagated plants. The study aimed to compare the antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of in vitro cultured and outdoor grown Tulbaghia violacea plants in the quest to validate the use of micropropagated plants as alternatives to outdoor grown plants in traditional medicine. Tulbaghia violacea is used extensively in South African traditional medicine for HIV/AIDS patients and in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments, asthma, fever and tuberculosis. Extracts of micropropagated and outdoor grown Tulbaghia violacea plants were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and a fungus Candida albicans using microdilution methods. Saponins and phenolic compounds including condensed tannins, gallotannins and flavonoids were quantitatively determined using spectrophotometric methods. A qualitative test for saponins was also carried out. The petroleum ether (PE) extracts of micropropagated plants and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of outdoor grown plants showed good antibacterial activity, each against two bacterial test strains. PE extracts of micropropagated plants showed the best antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.39mg/ml against Bacillus subtilis. Good MIC (<1mg/ml) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of 0.78mg/ml were only obtained in DCM extracts of outdoor grown plants. MIC and MFC values for water and ethanol extracts of both micropropagated and outdoor grown plants were similar and in the range 3.125–12.5mg/ml. Total phenolics, gallotannins, flavonoids and saponins were significantly higher in micropropagated plants than in outdoor grown ones. In all cases, the amounts of phytochemical compounds in micropropagated plants were more than twice that of outdoor grown plants except for condensed tannins. The results form a good basis for the use of Tulbaghia violacea micropropagated plants as a complement to the outdoor grown plants in traditional medicine.