Antimicrobial and Cellular Metabolic Effects of the Ethanolic Extract of the Dallas Red Variety of Lantana Camara Download PDF

This study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial potential and cellular metabolic effects of the Dallas red variety of Lantana camara, a variety which has shown resistance to the herbivore Uroplata girardi Pic. The phytochemical and chemical compounds present in the extract were also done to be able to correlate which of the medicinal properties reported these can be attributed to. For antimicrobial screening, the plant extract showed antimicrobial activity in four out of six bacterial strains; K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and B. subtilis. Stimulation/Suppression of splenocyte proliferation (MTT) assay revealed that the cells were not significantly affected by the extract. Phytochemical screening revealed the different concentrations of alkaloids (+), saponins (+++), flavonoids (+++), steroids (+++), and tannins (+). Cyanogenic-glycosides (-), anthraquinones (-) and fatty acids (-) were not detected. Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrum analysis revealed fifteen (15) phytocompounds some of which have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The antimicrobial and splenocyte response results may indicate that the plant has shown scientific basis about its ethnomedicinal properties.