Bioassay-Guided Antimycobacterial Activity and Identification of Ethyl Linoleate from Bidens pilosa Linn.

Abstract

Introduction: The plant, Bidens pilosa has wide applications ethno-botanically as an anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antioxidant, as well as antimicrobial tool for several decades. As an anti-bacterial, it has been employed in the treatment of mouth and stomach ulcers in South Africa; treat hypertension and diabetes in Brazil as well as infections in China. One of the major public health concern is the spread of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB). Infectious diseases like TB, pose serious threats to human health, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, there is the need for continuous development of new TB drugs and vaccines.

Objectives: This study was aimed to study the antimycobacterial activity of the extracts and constituents of the extracts of the roots of Bidens pilosa (BP) plant.

Methods: Bioassay activity of the root extracts of Bidens pilosa led to its further purification. The root extracts which exhibited anti-mycobacterial activity against the mycobacterium species were purified using column chromatography in order to isolate the individual components and tested again with the mycobacterial isolates. The crude, hexane, chloroform and methanol fractions of BP roots were tested against mycobacterial species.

Results: The anti-mycobacterial screening identified the fraction of hexane showing strong anti-mycobacterial sensitivity against all the species used. The study led to the isolation of a compound  identified as 9, 12- octadecadienoic ethyl ester, (Ethyl linoleate).

Conclusions: The results from this study show the isolated compound from Bidens pilosa could form prospective framework for drug development effort levelling M. tuberculosis.