Evaluation of 17 medicinal plants from Northern Côte d'Ivoire for their in vitro activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Twenty crude extracts from 17 species out of 11 families were assessed for their antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pneumococcus). The selected plants are used in Northern Côte d'Ivoire to treat various infections including respiratory track diseases. From all the tested extracts, only 7 from 6 plants showed a promising in vitro bactericidal activity against Pneumococcus, including strains resistant to penicillin. The most active extracts were from Erythrina senegalensis (Fabaceae), Piliostigma thonningii (Caesalpiniaceae), Waltheria indica (Sterculiaceae), Andira inermis (Fabaceae), Uapaca togoensis (Euphorbiaceae), Keetia hispida (Rubiaceae) and Combretum molle (Combretaceae). This is the first time that the antipneumococcal activity of the tested plants is reported. The results of this preliminary investigation support the traditional use of these plants in the treatment of pneumococcal infections. The most active of them could be candidates for isolation of compounds which could serve as lead structures for the development of new drugs against Streptococcus pneumoniae.