Abstract
Soqotra is considered the „jewel“ of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. Surveys have revealed that more than a third of the plant species of Soqotra are found nowhere else [1]. Fifty plants were collected, extracted with methanol and hot water and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against three human cancer cell lines (A-427, 5637 and MCF-7) and for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as multiresistant
Staphylococcus
strains. Moreover, the antiviral activity of 25 plants has been assayed in two
in vitro
viral systems, influenza virus type A/MDCK cells and herpes simplex virus type 1/Vero cells, at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The methanolic extracts of
Ballochia atro-virgata
Balf.f.,
Buxus hildebrandtii
Baill.,
Dendrosicyos socotrana
Balfour,
Dracena cinnabari
Balf.f.,
Eureiandra balfourii
Cogn.,
Hypoestes pubescens
Balf.f.,
Jatropha unicostata
Balf.f. and
Punica protopunica
Balf.f.
Withania aduensis
Vierh. and
Withania riebeckii Schweinf. ex Balf.f.
exhibited the highest toxicity on all tumor cell lines with IC
50
values ranging between 0.29 and 8.2µg/ml [2,3].
The greatest antimicrobial activity was found by the methanolic extracts of
Boswellia ameero
Balf.f.,
Boswellia dioscorides
Thul. & Gifri,
Boswellia elongata
Balf.f.,
Boswellia socotrana
Balf.f., Buxus hildebrandtii,
Commiphora ornifolia
(Balf.f.) J.B.Gillett,
Commiphora parvifolia
Engl.,
Euclea divinorum
Hiern,
Euphorbia socotrana
Balf.f.,
Jatropha unicostata
,
Kalanchoe farinacea
Balf.f.,
Leucas samhaensis
Cortés-Burns & A.G.Mill.,
Leucas virgata
Balf.f.,
Pulicaria stephanocarpa
Balf.f., Punica protopunica,
Rhus thyrsiflora
Balf.f.,
Teucrium socotranum
Vierh.,
Withania adunensis
and
Withania riebeckii
[3,4].
The methanolic extracts of
Boswellia ameero, Boswellia elongata, Buxus hildebrandtii
,
Cissus hamaderohensis
Radcl.-Sm.,
Cleome socotrana
Balf.f.,
Exacum affine
Balf.f.,
Jatropha unicostata
and
Kalanchoe farinacea
showed anti-influenza virus type A activity with IC
50
-values from 12.5 to 0.7µg/ml [5]. In addition, 15 plants of the 25 investigated exhibited anti-HSV-1 activity [5].
Keywords:
Soqotra, Medicinal plants, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antiviral
References:
1. Miller, G. A., Morris, M. (2004) Ethnoflora of the Soqotra Archipelago. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK: Printed by the Charlesworth Group, Huddersfield, UK.
2. Mothana RAA, Grünert R, Lindequist U, Bednarski PJ (2007) Pharmazie 62: 305–307.
3. Mothana RAA, Lindequist U, Grünert R, Bednarski PJ (2009) BMC Complement Altern Med 9: 7.
4. Mothana, RAA, Lindequist U (2005)J Ethnopharmacol 96: 177–181.
5. Mothana, RAA, Reiss C, Mentel R, Lindequist U (2006) Phytother Res 20: 298–302.