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Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of extracts from (Tunisian)Rhamnus alaternus (Rhamnaceae)

  • Applied Microbiology
  • Original Articles
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Abstract

The petroleum ether, chloroformic, ethyl acetate, methanolic, Total Oligomers Flavonoids (TOF) enriched extracts, water extract as well as its fractions A1, A2, A3 obtained from aerial parts ofRhamnus alaternus, a Tunisian-Mediterranean medicinal species, were investigated for the contents of phenolic compounds, cytotoxic activity against the K562 human chronic myelogenous leukaemia cell line and L1210 leukaemia murine cells and for antibacterial activity against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial reference strains. A pronounced cytotoxic effect on both the cell lines was shown in the TOF, ethyl acetate, methanolic, aqueous extracts and A2 fraction, with respectively IC50 values 75, 232, 298, 606 and 571 μg/ml on K562 cells and 198, 176, 767, 560 and 614 μg/ml on L1210 cell line. Significant activity against bacterial reference strains:Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis andSalmonella typhimurium was shown with ethyl acetate, TOF extracts and A2 fraction. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities showed byR. alatemus depended on the chemical composition of the tested extracts.

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Correspondence to Leila Chekir-Ghedira.

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Ben Ammar, R., Kilani, S., Bouhlel, I. et al. Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of extracts from (Tunisian)Rhamnus alaternus (Rhamnaceae). Ann. Microbiol. 57, 453–460 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175089

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