Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27716160›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2016

Extracts of six Rubiaceae species combined with rifampicin have good in vitro synergistic antimycobacterial activity and good anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Abimbola O Aro, Jean P Dzoyem, Jacobus N Eloff, Lyndy J McGaw

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review.Central nervous system agents in medicinal chemistry · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
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  6. Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021
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  8. Review
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  11. Frontiers in pharmacology · 2019
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Abimbola O AroPhytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Jean P DzoyemPhytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. jpdzoyem@yahoo.fr.
Jacobus N EloffPhytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Lyndy J McGawPhytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Rubiaceae family has played a significant role in drug discovery by providing molecules with potential use as templates for the development of therapeutic drugs. This study was designed to study the in vitro synergistic effect of six Rubiaceae species in combination with a known anti-TB drug. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of these species were also evaluated to investigate additional benefits in antimycobacterial treatment.

methodsThe checkerboard method was used to determine the antimycobacterial synergistic activity of plant extracts combined with rifampicin. The antioxidant activity of extracts was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production was performed in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages using the Griess assay.

resultsCombination of rifampicin with the crude extracts resulted in a 4 to 256-fold increase of activity of extracts. The crude extract of Cremaspora triflora produced the best synergistic effect with rifampicin, with a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index of 0.08 against Mycobacterium aurum. Extracts of Psychotria zombamontana had the best antioxidant activity with an IC

conclusionSome of the Rubiaceae species investigated have substantial in vitro synergistic effects with rifampicin and also good free radical scavenging ability and anti-inflammatory activity. These preliminary results warrant further study on these plants to determine if compounds isolated from these species could lead to the development of bioactive compounds that can potentiate the activity of rifampicin even against resistant mycobacteria.

Indexed as

AnimalsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAntioxidantsAntitubercular AgentsCell SurvivalDrug SynergismMiceMicrobial ViabilityMycobacteriumPlant ExtractsRAW 264.7 CellsRifampinRubiaceaeAnti-Inflammatory AgentsAntioxidantsAntitubercular AgentsPlant ExtractsRifampinAntimycobacterialAntioxidantNitric oxideRubiaceaeSynergyTuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID27716160
PMCPMC5048625
OpenAlexW2528455393

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.