In vitro Cytotoxic Effects and Antibacterial Activity of Moroccan Medicinal Plants Aristolochia longa and Lavandula multifida

Aims: The aim of this study was the evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of organic extracts from Aristolochia longa and Lavandula multifida.

Study Design: Evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of extracts.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology (Faculty of Sciences), between July 2007 and July 2008.

Methodology: The aerial parts were extracted by organic solvents (hexane, dichloromethane and methanol). The antibacterial activity of extracts was tested against Rhodococcus strains using the agar well diffusion method and cytotoxic activity was evaluated against three cancerous cell lines using the MTT assay. The chemical composition of extracts was determined using GC-MS.

Results: The results show that the hexanic extract of A. longa (AH) and the dichloromethanic extract of A. longa (AD) present a good inhibitory effect on the three cancerous cell growth with 15 µg/ml≤IC50≤ 250 µg/ml and a total inhibitory effect on the bacterial growth with inhibition zone 30 mm at 50 mg/ml. Whereas, the extracts of L. multifida present less important inhibiting effects on the cell growth, in particular hexanic extract of L. multifida (LH) and dichloromethanic extract of L. multifida (LD) with 115 µg/ml≤IC50≤ 300 µg/ml. These extracts are also active against the three strains of Rhodococcus, with more than 20 mm rings of inhibition at 50 mg/ml. The study of the chemical composition of each these species was undertaken by means of GC-MS. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts studied showed the presence of many chemical compounds which can explain these biological activities. These preliminary results suggest the presence in the extracts of compounds such as linoleic acid chloride; oleic acid and limonene-6-ol, pivalate for A. longa, and methyl linolenate; octadecane; oleic acid; 2,3,5,8-tetramethyldecane, phenol, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl) for L. multifida.

Conclusion: This study deserves to be pursued to characterize better the asset compounds and to clarify their mechanism of action.