Introduction: Natural products from plants have been of great importance in the treatment of various disease conditions especially those involving reactive oxygen species. This study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxic, immunomodulatory and antileishmanial properties of stembark extract and fractions of Mammea africana sabine (Guttiferae) (syn. Ochrocarpus africana Oliv). Materials and Methods: The stembark extract and fractions of Mammea africana were investigated for cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells using the SRB method and DNA interaction activity using gel electrophoresis. Immunomodulatory activity of the extract in whole blood, neutrophils and macrophages was also investigated using luminol/lucigenin-based chemiluminescence assay. The extract and fractions were similarly screened for antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major in vitro. The GCMS analysis of the most active fraction against HeLa cells was carried out. Results: The stembark extract was found to exert significant cytotoxic activity with the dichloromethane fraction exhibiting the most pronounced effect. The crude extract and the fractions did not interact with DNA when investigated using electrophoresis. The extract prominently inhibited oxidative burst activity in whole blood, isolated polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) and mononuclear cells (MNCs). The extract also exhibited moderate antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major in vitro. GCMS analysis of active fraction revealed pharmacologically active compounds. Conclusion: These results suggest that the stembark extract/fractions of M. africana possess cytotoxic, immunomodulatory and antileishmanial activities and can be exploited in primary healthcare.
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Okokon et al. (2012) studied this question.
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