Isolation of 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methylpropenoate and bioactivity evaluation of Gomphrena celosioides extracts

Abstract

The efficacy of <i>Gomphrena</i><i>celosioides</i> extracts in traditional medicine in the treatment of infectious diseases was evaluated by biological assays. The bioactivities of the extracts of this plant were tested against organisms. The ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the plant displayed inhibition activities on <i>Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Salmonella typhi</i>. Methanol extract was active against <i>Candida albican</i>s, <i>Aspergillus niger</i> and <i>Trichophyton species</i> with diameter zones of inhibition between 14 and 20 mm. Fractionation of the methanol extract produced 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) methylpropenoate with mild antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms. The anthelmintic assay showed ethyl acetate and methanol extracts to be active against <i>Fasciola gigantica,</i><i>Taenia solium</i> and <i>Pheretima</i><i>pasthuma</i>. Ethyl acetate was the most toxic of the extracts causing paralysis of <i>Taenia solium</i> within 15 minutes and the death of <i>Fasciola gigantica</i> within 20 minutes of application. The brine shrimp assay gave an LC₅₀ of 52.15 and 77.98 µg/ml on hexane and methanol extracts respectively. The result of this work corroborated the folkloric use of <i>Gomphrena</i><i>celosioides</i> in the treatment of infectious diseases.