Abstract
Background: Macaranga occidentalis is well known in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments like bruises, boils, cuts, sores, and diarrhea. This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo the anti-staphylococcal activity of Macaranga occidentalis extracts on selected Staphylococcus aureus, including multidrug resistance (MDR) isolates. Moreover, the acute toxicity of the active extract was assessed.
Methods: Extracts were prepared by maceration of M. occidentalis in hexane. The in vitro activity of the extracts was determined using the broth microdilution method. The in vivo anti-staphylococcal activity and acute toxicity of the hexane extract were assessed in Wistar rats.
Results: The hexane leaves and bark extracts of M. occidentalis demonstrated antibacterial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 64 to 2048 μg/mL. In vivo, the hexane leaf extract (the most active) significantly reduced the bacterial load in S. aureus D021-infected Wistar rats after the tenth day of the experiment. It showed no toxic effect on blood cells and even enhanced hemoglobin production. Furthermore, at a dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight, this extract showed no signs of toxicity in rats, indicating that the median lethal dose (LD50) is greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight.
Conclusion: Macaranga occidentalis extracts, especially its leaf hexane extract, constitute promising alternative therapeutic sources for infections caused by MDR Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, further studies including its subacute and chronic toxicity, as well as the identification of its active ingredients, should be envisaged.
Keywords: acute toxicity; Anti-staphylococcal activity; Macaranga occidentalis; multidrug resistance; Staphylococcus aureus
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