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Bioassay Guided Fractionation Protocol for Determining Novel Active Compounds in Selected Australian Flora
Janice Mani1,2, Joel Johnson1,2, Holly Hosking1
1School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Bruce Hwy, North Rockhampton, QLD 4701, Australia.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 11, 2022
Summary
Australian native plants like Gumbi gumbi and Kakadu plum show significant potential for drug discovery. Their extracts exhibit potent cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities, paving the way for novel therapeutic compounds.
Area of Science:
- Phytochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Australian flora possesses unique phytochemicals with potential medicinal properties.
- Drug discovery efforts can be advanced by screening these plants for bioactive compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a bioassay-guided fractionation protocol for screening Australian plants.
- To identify novel compounds with potential therapeutic applications from selected native flora.
Main Methods:
- Selected five native Australian plants: Pittosporum angustifolium, Terminalia ferdinandiana, Cupaniopsis anacardioides, Podocarpus elatus, and Pleiogynium timoriense.
- Methanolic extracts were analyzed for Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (FRAP).
- Cytotoxicity was assessed against HeLa, HT29, and HuH7 cancer cell lines, and antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens.
Main Results:
- Kakadu plum flesh (KPF) showed the highest TPC (20,847 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant capacity (100,494 mg TXE/100 g).
- Gumbi gumbi (GGL) extract demonstrated complete cell inhibition in HeLa and HT29, and ~95% in HuH7 cells.
- KPF extracts were effective against most tested bacteria, while GGL fractions, particularly F1, showed high cytotoxic activity with favorable selectivity index values.
Conclusions:
- Native Australian plants, especially Gumbi gumbi and Kakadu plum, are rich sources of bioactive compounds.
- The developed bioassay-guided fractionation protocol is effective for identifying potent cytotoxic and antimicrobial agents.
- Further isolation and characterization of compounds like t-ferulic acid from GGL hold promise for new drug development.
