02568nas a2200217 4500008004100000245012000041210006900161260001400230300001000244490000600254520186000260653001402120653003202134653001602166653002102182653002202203653002402225100001802249700002002267856006302287 2011 eng d00aAn Examination of the Medicinal Potential of Scaevola spinescens: Toxicity, Antibacterial, and Antiviral Activities0 aExamination of the Medicinal Potential of Scaevola spinescens To cJune,2011 a85-940 v33 a

Background: Scaevola spinescens is an endemic Australian native plant with a history of use as a medicinal agent by indigenous Australians. Yet the medicinal bioactivities of this plant are poorly studied. Materials and Methods: S. spinescens solvent extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity, antiviral activity and toxicity in vitro. Results: All extracts displayed antibacterial activity in the disc diffusion assay. The methanol extract proved to have the broadest specificity, inhibiting the growth of 7 of the 14 bacteria tested (50%). The water, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane extracts inhibited the growth of 6 (42.9%), 5 (35.7%), 5 (35.7%), and 4 (28.6%) of the 14 bacteria tested, respectively. S. spinescens methanolic extracts were equally effective against Gram-positive (50%) and Gram-negative bacteria (50%). All other extracts were more effective at inhibiting the growth of Gram-negative bacteria. All extracts also displayed antiviral activity in the MS2 plaque reduction assay with the methanol, water, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane extracts inhibiting 95.2 ± 1.8%, 72.3 ± 6.3%, 82.6 ± 4.5%, 100 ± 0% and 47.7 ± 12.9% of plaque formation, respectively. All S. spinescens extracts were nontoxic in the Artemia fransiscana bioassay with no significant increase in mortality induced by any extract at 24 and 48 hr. The only increase in mortality was seen for the water extract at 72 hr, although even this extract displayed low toxicity, inducing only 41.7 ± 23.3% mortality. Conclusions: The lack of toxicity of the S. spinescens extracts and their inhibitory bioactivity against bacteria and viruses validate the Australian Aboriginal usage of S. spinescens and indicates its medicinal potential.

10aAntiviral10aAustralian medicinal plants10aMaroon bush10aMedicinal plants10aMS2 bacteriophage10aScaevola spinescens1 aCock, Ian, E.1 aKukkonen, Liisa uhttps://phcogres.com/article/2011/3/2/1041030974-849081955