Objective: To assess the
in vitro antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities of amblyone, a triterpenoid isolated from
Amorphophallus campanulatus
(Roxb).
Methods: Disc diffusion technique was used for
in vitro antibacterial and antifungal screening. Cytotoxicity was determined against brine shrimp nauplii. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using serial dilution technique to determine the antibacterial potency.
Results: Large zones of inhibition were observed in disc diffusion antibacterial screening against four Gram-positive bacteria (
Bacillus subtilis
,
Bacillus megaterium
,
Staphylococcus aureus
and
Streptococcus pyogenes
) and six Gram-negative bacteria (
Escherichia coli
,
Shigella dysenteriae
,
Shigella sonnei
,
Shigella flexneri
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Salmonella typhi
). The MIC values against these bacteria ranged from 8 to 64 µg/ml. In antifungal screening, the compound showed small zones of inhibition against
Aspergillus flavus
,
Aspergillus niger
and
Rhizopus aryzae
.
Candida albicans
was resistant against the compound. In the cytotoxicity determination, LC
50 of the compound against brine shrimp nauplii was 13.25 µg/ml.
Conclusions: These results suggest that the compound has good antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria, moderate cytotoxicity against brine shrimp nauplii and insignificant antifungal activity against the tested fungi.
