<i>In vitro</i> Amoebicidal Activity of some Medicinal Plants of the Bamun Region ( Cameroon)

Abstract

Fifty five medicinal plants belonging to different families selected on the basis of their traditional use against jaundice and various liver disorders were tested for their amoebicidal activities. They were extracted and tested for their antiamoebic activity in vitro using polyxenic culture of Entamoebic histolytica. As the result, 14 exhibited an antiamoebic activity at a dose of 100μg/ml from the second to the fourth day of incubation. The 14 extracts selected extracts were additionnaly tested for 6 days at 10, 100 and 500μg/ml of concentration, and only the leaves extract of Codiaeum variegatum exhibited a clear antiamoebic activity (EC50=10,74 the second day), and had a more pronounced activity than metronidazole the reference product. Key Words: Medicinal plants; Codiaeum variegatum; In vitro; amoebicidal; Bamun;.Cameroon Afr. J. Trad. CAM (2005) 2 (2): 113-121