Evaluation of some medicinal properties of Ceiba aesculifolia subsp. parvifolia

摘要

The bark ofCeiba aesculifoliasubsp.parvifoliais used for the treatment of diabetes, kidneys maladies, tumors, gastritis, and wounds by the people of San Rafael, Coxcatlan, Puebla. The aim of this work was to investigate antimicrobial activity, general toxicity, and antioxidant activity of the bark of this species. The methanol extract was obtained by maceration. After obtaining the methanol extract (MeOH1), methanol (MeOH2) and hexane (H) fractions were obtained. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated through the disc-diffusion method. The general toxicity test was carried out by using brine shrimpArtemia salina.The quenching of free radicals was evaluated by the decolouration of a methanol solution of diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH). Total phenolics were determined by Folin Ciocalteu reagent. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to MeOH1 and MeOH2; MeOH2 had a bactericidal effect onStaphylococcus epidermidis(minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 0.75 mg/ml) andVibrio choleraTor (MIC = 0.50 mg/ml). MeOH2 showed inhibition of DPPH radical (SC50= 6.15μg/ml), 28% of total phenolics and was toxic againstA. salina(LC50= 2.82μg/ml). The methanol extract showed a variety of different compounds such as terpens, isoflavones and a coumarin. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and toxicity activities and a qualitative chemical characterization ofC. aesculifoliasubsp.parvifoliaare reported here for the first time.