Anti-methicillin resistant and growth inhibitory studies of extract and fractions of leaves of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Kurz (Crassulaceae)

Summary Introduction: Bryophyllum pinnatum is a plant with diverse ethnomedicinal claims yet to be verified scientifically. Objective: This work was aimed at evaluating the extract and vacuum liquid chromatographic (VLC) fractions of B. pinnatum on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and anti-proliferating seed radicle cells of Sorghum bicolor. Methods: The extract and VLC fractions of B. pinatum were screened phytochemically and subsequently tested against MRSA at concentrations of 3.125–100 mg/ml, while the antiproliferative assay at 1–30 and 1–10 mg/ml. Results: The extract recorded zone of inhibition of 7.05 mm was only at 100 mg/ml against L20 MRSA strains. While VLC bulked fractions A(1), C (5–7), D (8–9) and E (10) had no zones of inhibition against the strains, fraction B had zones of inhibitions at all concentrations with the highest ones of 9.7 and 8.5 mm at 125 and 62.5 mg/ml, respectively, against MRSA sample (L20). The MIC of the active fraction B was observed at 3.9, 7.8 and 15.6 mg/ml for all samples used. At 96 h of seed incubation, 56 mm radicle length was recorded by the control seeds was reduced to 1.5 mm (97%) and 0.4 mm (99%) when treated with 20 and 30 mg/ml of the extract. The VLC sub-fraction B at 10 mg/ml showed more inhibitory effects on the germinating radicles as it recorded 100% reduction when compared to the control at 96 h against 80 and 70% recorded by fractions ‘A’ and ‘C’, respectively. Conclusion: The results obtained showed an evidence of susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and growth inhibitory potentials of B. pinnatum, particularly the active VLC fraction “B”. Thus, further studies are required to support these findings.