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BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2023

Open Access 01-12-2023 | Research

Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential of the isolated compounds from Spermacoce princeae (K. Schum)

Authors: Peter Sekandi, Jane Namukobe, Robert Byamukama, Christine Betty Nagawa, Stefano Barbini, Markus Bacher, Stefan Böhmdorfer, Thomas Rosenau

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2023

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Abstract

Background

Spermacoce princeae (K. Schum) has been used in the treatment of bacterial skin infections in Uganda. Pharmacological studies revealed that extracts of S. princeae exhibited antibacterial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential. This study aimed at isolating and identifying pure compounds from the extracts based on comprehensive analytical characterization by multiple analytical techniques.

Methods

The plant samples were extracted by sequential maceration using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and distilled water. The compounds were isolated using a combination of chromatographic techniques and their structures were elucidated by multiple spectroscopic techniques. The antibacterial and antifungal activity determination of the isolated compounds was carried out using an agar well diffusion and potato dextrose assay against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus while the antioxidant activity was screened with the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The sun protection factor was determined using a Shimadzu Ultra Violet-visible (UV–VIS) double beam spectrophotometer between 290 to 320 nm.

Results

Eleven compounds; quercetin (1), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (2), rutin (3, 12), myo-inositol (4), asperulosidic acid (5), hexadecanoic acid (6), β-sitosterol (7), stigmasterol (8), campesterol (9), ursolic acid (10), and β-sitosterol glucoside (11) were identified in the S. princeae extracts. Compound 2 had good antifungal activity against C. albicans (zone of inhibition, 23.0 ± 0.1 mm). Compound 10 showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, and A. flavus. Compound 2 had a good percentage radical scavenging effect (IC50 = 64.81 µg/ml) and a good sun protection factor (SPF = 26.83).

Conclusion

This study reports the first-time isolation and identification of compounds 1 to 11 from S. princeae, which contribute to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential.
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Metadata
Title
Antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sun protection potential of the isolated compounds from Spermacoce princeae (K. Schum)
Authors
Peter Sekandi
Jane Namukobe
Robert Byamukama
Christine Betty Nagawa
Stefano Barbini
Markus Bacher
Stefan Böhmdorfer
Thomas Rosenau
Publication date
01-12-2023
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-04026-4

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