CONTEXT:

The role of natural products as a source for remedies has been recognized since the beginning of mankind. Nevertheless, a minority of folkloricly used medicinal plants have been evaluated for their pharmacological activities.

OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate 33 selected Yemeni plants for their in vitro anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The plants were extracted with methanol and hot water. The obtained 66 extracts were tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay against two cancer cell lines (5637 and MCF-7). The antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar diffusion method and MIC-determination. The DPPH radical method was used for the determination of antioxidant activity.

RESULTS:

Interesting cytotoxic activity was observed for Hypoestes forskalei (Vahl) R. Br. (Acanthaceae), Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult. (Solanaceae), Pergularia tomentosa L. (Asclepiadaceae), Psiadia punctulata (DC.) Vatke (Compositae), Pulicaria petiolaris Jaub. & Spach (Compositae) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Labiatae) (IC(50) values < 50 μg/mL). Antimicrobial activity with MIC values ≤ 125 μg/mL was exhibited against Gram-positive bacteria by Chrozophora oblongifolia (Del.) A.Juss. ex Spreng. (Euphorbiaceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), Phragmanthera regularis (Steud. ex Sprague) M.G. Gilbert (Loranthaceae) and R. officinalis. Antioxidant activity was observed for C. oblongifolia, M. communis, and P. regularis.

CONCLUSION:

The results justified the use of some investigated plants in the Yemeni ethnomedicine. These findings demonstrated that some of the investigated plants could be a source of new cytotoxic and antibiotic compounds; however, further work is needed.