Main Article Content
Isolation and structural elucidation of compounds from the non-alkaloidal extract of <i>Nicandra physaloides</i> and the antimicrobial activity of withanicandrin
Abstract
The aerial parts of Nicandra physaloides plant collected from Kenyatta National Hospital grounds were dried and subjected to acid-base extraction and partitioned to obtain alkaloidal and non-alkaloidal extracts. The non-alkaloidal extract yielded three compounds; withanicandrin, â-sitosterol and stigmasterol after column chromatography. Withanicandrin exhibited antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans but lacked antibacterial activity.
Key words: Nicandra physaloides, withanicandrin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, antifungal activity.