Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Essential Oils of Hydnora africana Thumb Used to Treat Associated Infections and Diseases in South Africa

Hydnora africana (HA) Thumb is a member of the genus Hydnora. The roots are used in the treatment of infectious diseases in South Africa folk medicine. Though the root extracts are used to treat various human diseases including inflamed throat, there is a dearth of scientific data on the biological activities of essential oil isolated from this plant in the literature. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the chemical components and certain biological activities of the essential oil using standard bioassay methods. The plant essential oil exhibited a moderate free radical scavenging activity that was dependent on the radical species. Similarly, the essential oil was active against the growth of all thirteen opportunistic bacteria apart from Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris. The essential oil was also active against Aspergillus niger among all the nine fungi selected. In addition, the species is typified by substantial amounts of classes of compounds including; carboxylic acids (30.68%), terpenes (10.70%), alkyl aldehydes (4.86%) and esters (0.82%), identified as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. The essential oil of H. africana could be said to have pharmacological properties, and these agents in the essential oil of H. africana could justify the folklore usage of this plant in the treatment of infections and related diseases.