Inhibition of the Developmental Stages of Ascaris suum and Antimicrobial Activity of 3β-Hydroxylolean-12,18-diene Isolated from the Aerial Parts of Canarium schweinfurthii (Engl)

Our search for anthelminthics from nature led to the isolation of 3β-hydroxylolean-12,18-diene, from the aerial Parts of Canarium schweinfurthii for the first time. A plant used in the treatment of parasitic worms in Nigeria, the structure was elucidated using spectral data and by comparison with literature data. Preliminary antimicrobial screening of the extract at 50 mg/mL showed 66.7% inhibitions against the test organisms. The isolated 3β-hydroxylolean-12,18-diene showed inhibitory activity at 6.25 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Eschoriahia coli, Shigella dysenteria, Bacillcis subtlis, Kebsiella pneumonia, Candida stellatoidea while Salmonella typhi, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were inhibited at 12.5 µg/mL. The ovacidal and larvacidal activities of 3β-hydroxyl olean-12,18-diene against the pre-infective and infective stages of Ascaris suum, showed percentage inhibition between 62 to 65% and 76 to 86% as compared to the standard drug Albendazole which showed inhibition ranging between 96.1 to 97.5%. The results of this investigation clearly shows that the plant has potential that can be explore in the search for antiparasitic drug from nature.