Evaluation of some Egyptian plant species for in vitro antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activities

Twenty plant species used in Egypt and selected mainly on the basis of use in the treatment of lung/chest diseases were evaluated for in vitro antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activities in a study designed to detect plant extracts with selective activity against mycobacteria. The methanol extracts of only two of the species tested, Ambrosia maritime L. (leaves) and Nasturtium officinale R.Br. (seeds), exhibited activity against Mycobacterium bovis BCG (MIC values 250 and 500 mugmL(-1), respectively), but both species were also toxic to DLD-1 cells (IC50 10.98 and 54.25 mugmL(-1), respectively). Of the remaining species, nine were found to have cytotoxic activities (IC50 < 100 μgml(-1)); cytotoxicity data on four of these has not previously been reported.