Wild ginger (
Siphonochilus aethiopicus
(Schweinf) B.L Burtt) is used in traditional medicines in the West and South of
Africa. In the present study, the crude hexane extract of wild ginger was evaluated for
in vitro bioactivity. The components
isolated from the plant for the first time are:
epi-curzerenone, furanodienone (sesquiterpenes), 8(17),12E-labdadiene-15,16-dial,
15-hydroxy-8(17),12E-labdadiene-16-al and 16-oxo-8(17),12E-labdadiene-15-oic acid (labdanes). Cytotoxicity determinations
using five cell lines: SH-SY5Y (human, Caucasian, bone marrow, neuroblastoma), Jurkat (human, peripheral blood, leukaemia T
cell), L929 (mouse, CH3/connective tissue, areolar and adipose tumour cells), Hep G2 (human, Caucasian, hepatocellular
carcinoma) and Hs 27 (normal, human, foreskin cells) were carried out. Anti-trypanosomal activity against
Trypanosoma brucei
brucei
(S427) blood stream forms and anti-bacterial activity against
Mycobacterium aurum
(CIP .104482) were also investigated.
Activity against
M. aurum was moderate and at 100μg/ml, the crude extract together with the labdanes showed specific
cytotoxicity, indicating anti-cancer potency. Anti-trypanosomal activity was observed in the crude extract which increased with
the pure components: 8(17),12E-labdadiene-15,16-dial (MIC = 5.3 μM) and the sesquiterpenoids (MIC = 6.9 μM) as compared to
suramin activity (MIC = 10 μM). This anti-trypanosomal activity which is being reported for the first time indicates possible
usage against sleeping sickness and nagana in cattle.
