Antimicrobial activity of Mitracarpus scaber extract and isolated constituents

The antimicrobial activity of a methanol extract and isolated constituents of Mitracarpus scaber, a species used in folk medicine by West African nati ve people, was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans strains. The mitracarpus methanol extract possesses both antibacterial and antimycotic activities (minimum inhibitory concentration-MIC 31.25 and 62. 50 mu g ml(-1), respectively). This extract was subsequently fractioned and monitored by bioassays leading to the isolation of seven compounds screene d for antibacterial and antimycotic activities. Among these compounds, gall ic acid and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid inhibited the growth of Staph. aur eus (MIC 3.90 and 0.97 mu g ml(-1)). 4-Methoxyacetophenone and 3,4,5-trimet hoxyacetophenone effectively inhibited C. albicans (MIC 1.95 mu g ml(-1)). The other compounds (kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, rutin and psoralen) which w ere also isolated showed low antibacterial and antimycotic activities (125- 500 mu g ml(-1)).