Evaluation of the Antimycobacterial Properties of Plant Extracts From
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Evaluation of the antimycobacterial properties of plant extracts from Vernonia adoensis Ruvimbo Vicki Tricia Mautsa R076753C DISSERTATION IN FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN BIOCHEMISTRY Department of Biochemistry University of Zimbabwe 2018 DECLARATION I, Ruvimbo Vicki Tricia Mautsa, a student of the Faculty of Science of University of Zimbabwe, declare that this thesis is the result of my own independent experimental work, carried out from August 2014 to July 2017 at University of Zimbabwe except where otherwise stated. Other sources used are acknowledged in the thesis by explicit references. This work has never been submitted elsewhere to meet the requirements for any other award. Signed by student……………………...…………………………………………………… Date………………………………………………………………………………………… i DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to the four lovely members of my family; my husband Ronald, my two daughters; Mukudzeishe and Matipaishe; and lastly but not least, my little boy, Kuitakwashe. There were times when I got tired and frustrated, thank you guys for being my pillars of strength, and thank you for being the supporters that never got tired of inspiring and cheering on me ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincerest gratitude towards my supervisor, Professor Stanley Mukanganyama, and my co-supervisor, Professor Dexter Tagwireyi, for their persistence, mentorship and support throughout the years as I carried out my research. My deepest gratitude, through the efforts of my supervisor, similarly go to the sponsors of this study; the International Foundation for Science (IFS) Stockholm, Sweden and IPICS-ZIM01 project from the International Program in the Chemical Sciences (IPICS), Uppsala University, Sweden. Many thanks go to group members of the Biomolecular Interactions Analyses (BIA) for the constructive criticism and sharing of knowledge and to the Biochemistry staff who played their corresponding roles to make this study achievable. Lastly but not least, I express gratitude towards my family for their staunch support all the way. iii ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB), is a mycobacterial infection resulting from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Two million individuals die annually due to TB and currently, treating this infection is a massive challenge owing to the emergence of drug-resistant strains and co-infection with HIV. Medicinal plants, having been used since time immemorial for the treatment of TB and TB-related ailments, are a possible lead for the discovery of novel phytocompounds that can be exploited for the invention of more efficacious antimycobacterial agents. Vernonia adoensis is a herbal medicine that is used as a natural therapy for TB. This study examined the antimycobacterial properties of V. adoensis against a model mycobacterial species Mycobacterium smegmatis and the plant’s mode of action. Crude extracts of V. adoensis were prepared from the flowers, leaves, root bark and roots of V. adoensis using solvents of varying polarity. The major biologically active class of phytochemicals were identified. The antimycobacterial activity of the prepared extracts was assessed using the broth microdilution assay with rifampicin as the reference drug. The plant extracts and phytochemicals were tested for their inhibitory and mycobactericidal activities against M. smegmatis. The consequence of the most powerful extract of V. adoensis on the transport of ciprofloxacin across the cell membrane was investigated. The extract's ability to damage membrane integrity resulting in protein and nucleic acid leakage in mycobacterial cells was determined and its ability to scavenge for free radicals was assessed using the DPPH method. In vitro determination of the effect of the plant extract on the survival of mycobacteria inside macrophages was conducted and the cytotoxic effects of the plant extract were investigated using sheep erythrocytes. The most potent extract from V. adoensis was the ethyl acetate leaf extract which had a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of 63 µg/ml and 125 µg/ml respectively against M. smegmatis. The most active phytochemical class was the terpenoid fraction with an MIC of 250 µg/ml. Nucleic acid and protein leakage in M. smegmatis cells were observed after they were subjected to the leaf extract. The ethyl acetate leaf extract didn’t show neither free radical scavenging activity nor effect on drug transport in mycobacterial cells. The extract showed minimal cytotoxic effects towards the sheep erythrocytes and post-treating M. smegmatis-infected murine macrophages with the leaf extract at a concentration of 126 µg/ml significantly reduced the viability of the mycobacteria. The result of the study supports the traditional use of V. adoensis leaves in the treatment of tuberculosis. It is suggested that cell membrane disruption resultant in protein and nucleic acid leakage could be the plant's mode of action. Since the plant extract was not cytotoxic, it is a potential candidate as a template for new antimycobacterials. Since a model non-pathogenic organism was used, further studies must be done using M. tuberculosis. Further studies may also include isolation of the active constituents of Vernonia adoensis, which may form a basis for discovering new compounds with better antimycobacterial activity than the drugs that are in use. Keywords: Vernonia adoensis, plant extracts, antimycobacterial, Mycobacterium smegmatis iv Table of Contents Declaration.................................................................................................................................................i Dedication…….........................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements………………………………………………….………………………………….iii Abstract…….............................................................................................................................................iv Table of contents…....................................................................................................................................v List of Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................x List of Tables...........................................................................................................................................xii List of Figures.........................................................................................................................................xiii List of Appendices...................................................................................................................................xv Chapter One Introduction………………………………………………………………………..........1 1.1 Tuberculosis………….……………………………………………………………………………1 1.2 Tuberculosis epidemiology in humans ….…………………………………...................................1 1.3. Clinical symptoms of tuberculosis ………………….………………….........................................3 1.4. Treatment options of tuberculosis …………………......................................................................4 1.5. How the current tuberculosis drugs work…………………………………...................................5 1.5.1 Rifampicin (RIF).……….………………………………………...........................................6 1.5.2 Pyrazinamide (PZA) (Pyrazinecarboxamide)…………………………….............................7 1.5.3 Isoniazid (INH) (Isonicotinic acid hydrazide) …………………….......................................8 1.5.4 Ethambutol (EMB) ((+) - ethambutol dihydrochloride) …………………………………….9 1.6 Drug resistance in tuberculosis….….…………………………………...………………………...10 1.6.1 Drug efflux pumps…………………………………………………….................................11 v 1.6.2 Efflux pump inhibitors………………………………….……………………..……………13 1.7 Mycobacteria.…………………………………………………......................................................14 1.7.1 Mycobacterium tuberculosis……….......................................................................................17 1.7.2 Non-pathogenic mycobacteria…….…………………………………………..…………….18 1.7.3 Mycobacterium aurum…………………………………………............................................18 1.7.4 Mycobacterium smegmatis………………………………………………………………......19 1.7.5 Use of M. smegmatis as a model for M. tuberculosis……………….…………………….....21 1.8 Current challenges in treating tuberculosis.....................................................................................22 1.9 The use of traditional medicine as an alternative or complementary medicine…………………………………………………..............................................................24 1.10 Plant phytochemicals …………………………………………………………………..…….…...26 1.10.1 Classes of phytochemicals………………………………………………………..……...28 1.10.2 Alkaloids……………………………………………………………………………..…..28 1.10.3 Flavonoids …………………………………………………………………………….....29 1.10.4 Phenolics ……………………………………………………….......................................30 1.10.5 Saponins …………………………………………………………....................................31 1.10.6 Tannins ………………………………………………………………………………......32 1.10.7 Terpenoids …………………………………………………………………………….....33 1.11 Antioxidants ……………………………………………………………………………………....34 1.11.1 Antioxidants and their role in the treatment of tuberculosis..............................................38 1.12 Antimycobacterial susceptibility tests………………………………....……………………….....39 vi 1.12.1 Minimum inhibitory concentration determination using the broth microdilution method………………………………………….………………..........…..39 1.12.2 Determination of the minimum bactericidal concentration