Anti-infective and wound healing agents of plants sourced from Ghana

This monograph is a study involving the scientific investigation of the ethnopharmacological uses of five selected plants from Ghana used in the treatment of dermal infections and wounds. Screening of the plants for antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and wound healing properties was carried out using in vitro bioassays. In all cases, the light petroleum, chloroform, ethanol and water extracts were tested. In all, nine compounds were isolated from C. benthamiana, including three novel and two known cassane-type furanoditerpenoids, three plant sterols and a long chain fatty acid. This is however the first time all the six known isolated compounds have been reported from this plant species. The three novel antibacterial compounds were designated benthaminin 1-3. Benthaminin 2 was the more active antioxidant compound and showed IC50 values of 43μM and 74μM for the DPPH and TBA assays, respectively. This compound also offered significant protection against hydrogen peroxide induced damage. These findings therefore give some support to the ethnopharmacological use of the plants in the treatment of various skin diseases and wounds.