Env Exp Biol (2014) 12: 29–32

In vitro antiproliferative and antimicrobial evaluation of Kigelia pinnata

Abstract

Kigelia pinnata (Lam.) Benth is a multi-medicinal plant with highly valued root extracts that are often applied in folk medicine for the management of various types of cancers and microbial infections. This study evaluates the anti-proliferative and antimicrobial potential of K. pinnata extracts. Oil and extracts from the root were obtained by cold extraction using hexane, ethylacetate and methanol and were concentrated in vacuo and examined for their antimicrobial activities and anti-proliferative activities on human breast cancer cell lines using agar diffusion method and tetrazolium dye assay, respectively. The oil and ethylacetate extract showed little or no antimicrobial activities for all organisms tested except for moderate activity on Aspergillus sp., but the methanol extract showed significant activity against Salmonella typhi, Proteus sp., Rhizopus sp. and Aspergillus sp. Most importantly, the three extracts significantly inhibited the growth of tumour cells in vitro with high cytotoxicity indices, while the ethylacetate extract had the highest potency, with IC₅₀ values of 10.53 ± 1.6 on human breast cancer cell lines. The root extracts showed significant anti-proliferative activity, which supports the folk claims of use of the plant as an anticancer repertoire.