Plants were used as medicines thousands of years ago. Conventional medicine use is increasing and many of the currently used drugs are extracted from herbal sources. In Palestinian
traditional medicine, the Alhagi mannifera plant is used for the treatment of
cancer. Our study aimed to extract this plant using five
solvent fractions, identifying their chemical compositions, and evaluating their antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects.
METHODS: A total of 165 compounds were identified in A. mannifera different extracts. In the
petroleum ether extract were found a total of 55 compounds. The major compounds were 2,5-cyclooctadien-1-ol (9.42%),
3-chloropropionic acid, heptyl
ester (9.42%),
carbonic acid, ethyl nonyl
ester (9.42%) and
chloroacetic acid. In
methylene chloride extract a total of 11 compounds were found, and the major compounds were m-ainobenzenesulfonyl
fluoride (14.35%), dodecane,2,6,10-trimethyl- (14.35%) and propanoic acid,2,2-dimethyl-,2-ethylexyl
ester (14.35%). In
chloroform extract, a total of 23 compounds were found. The major compounds were 5-ethyl-1-nonene (21.28%), and
decanedioic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) ester (21.28%). In
acetone extract were found a total of 47 compounds and the major compound was phenol,2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)- (5.22%). In
methanol extract a total of 29 compounds were found and the major compounds were
3-o-methyl-d-glucose (10.79%), myo-
inositol, 2-c-methyl- (10.79%), myo-
inositol, 4-c-methyl- (10.79%), and scyllo-inositol,1C-methyl- (10.79%). All extracts showed antimicrobial activity. However, the
petroleum ether extract showed the most potent antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella
pneumonia, MRSA, and Candida albicans with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 1.25, 1.25, 6.25, 0.325, 6.25, and 1.56 μg/mL, respectively. De facto,
chloroform extract followed by
ether extract displayed potential cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 0.2 and 1.2 mg/mL, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: