Phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of dried leaves of Bridelia ferruginea led to the isolation and identification of fourteen compounds (1-14): compound 1 [mixture of palmitic, stearic and oleic acids], stearyl monoester of 2-O-β-ᴅ-glucosylglycerol (2), 6β-hydroxy-(20R)-24-ethylcholest-4-en-3-one (3a), 6β-hydroxy-(20R)-24-ethylcholest-4,22-dien-3-one (3b), lutein (4), vomifoliol (5), corilagin (6), kaempferide-3-O-β-ᴅ-glucoside (7), myricetin (8), isomericitrin (9), isoquercetin (10), myricitrin (11), quercitrin (12), rutin (13), and β-sitosterol glucoside (14). The total extract exhibited moderate activity towards CB2 receptor and 90% inhibition against leishmanial pathogen Trypanosoma brucei. Compound 4 exhibited 73% displacement in CB2 receptor with IC50 56.47 μM, and 93% inhibition towards T. brucei with IC50 4.16 μM. Compound 11 showed 99% inhibition towards Escherichia coli with IC50 1.123 μM.
Keywords: antibacterial; antileishmanial; cannabinoid receptor; flavonoids.