## 5 Biological Activities
### C. macrocarpa
#### 5.8.2 Solvent Extracts  
The methanolic extracts of the leaves, banks and roots collected in Cameroon exert from poor to moderate cytotoxic effects against THP-1, DU145, HeLa, MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines with IC\({}_{50}\) values from above 400 to 60.8 ug/mL. These values are much higher than those reported for doxorubicin (from 5.5 to below 3.3 ug/mL). The same extracts also show poor anti-gonorrhea effects against different _Neisseria gonorrhoeae_ strains with MIC values from above 512 to 128 \(\upmu\)g/mL. These values are much higher than those reported for gentamicin (from 32 to 0.5 \(\upmu\)g/mL). Lastly, the same extracts show poor reverse transcriptase activity with inhibition percentages equal to 16.75, 6.07 and 8.16%, respectively, at the concentration of 200 \(\upmu\)g/mL. These values are much lower than those reported for doxorubicin (91.22%) [85]. In rats, the combined methanol and petroleum ether extracts of the leaves and the methanol extract of the roots of this species collected in Egypt exhibit strong protective effects on kidney after gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity. Indeed, they are able to significantly reduce the serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, to enhance the gene expression of AMPK-\(\alpha\)1, to downregulate iNOS and to decrease NF-\(\kappa\)B [112]. The methanolic extract of the leaves of this species collected in Egypt shows weak DPPH+ free radical scavenging activity, with a value of 0.20 mg AAE/g [117]. The petroleum ether fraction of its leaves collected in Algeria has good acetylcholinesterase-inbibitory properties with an IC\({}_{50}\) value of 88.79 \(\upmu\)g/mL. The same petroleum ether fraction exerts modest antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant _Staphylococcus aureus_ (MRSA) ATCC33591 with an IC\({}_{50}\) value of 123.0 \(\upmu\)g/mL [117]. The methanolic and diethyl ether extracts of the leaves collected in Egypt exert from strong to moderate antibacterial effects against 41 MRSA isolates with MIC values from 2 to 8 \(\upmu\)g/mL for the latter and 256 to 1024 \(\upmu\)g/mL for the former, to be compared to vancomycin that shows MIC values from 0.5 to 4 \(\upmu\)g/mL. The same diethyl ether extract is able to reduce the growth of all the isolates by 48.78% and the efflux pump of 12 of them as well as to produce a certain degradation of the cell walls. The mechanism of action is in vitro via a significant down expression of _nor_A and _nor_B genes and in vivo by regenerating the epidermis, maturing the granulation tissue and reducing the inflammatory cell infiltration in rats. In rats, this extract is also able to contract wounds by 83.9% and to reduce the size of the injured area by regenerating thin epidermis after 7 days of treatment. The same extract has modest cytotoxic effects on HSF cell line with an IC\({}_{50}\) value of 21.3 \(\upmu\)g/mL. Doxorubicin shows a value of 4.36 \(\upmu\)g/mL [119]. The methanolic extract of the roots collected in Egypt exerts from good to moderate antimicrobial effects on several _Salmonella enterica_ isolates with MIC values from 64 to 1024 \(\upmu\)g/mL. This extract significantly decreases the bacterial membrane of all the isolates as well as the membrane depolarization (40%) and efflux activity. It also significantly increases the inner and outer membrane permeability of all the isolates. The reduction of the biofilm formation at concentration from 32 to 512 \(\upmu\)g/mL occurs only in eight isolates. According to the castor-oil induced diarrhead model, the same extract also shows good antidiarrhoeal effects by reducing the rate of defecation (85.9% at 100 mg/Kg body weight, 88% at 200 mg/Kg body weight, 93.5% at 100 mg/Kg body weight). The value of this rate for loreamide is 91.5% at 3 mg/Kg body weight. This extract has an inhibitory effect on the intestinal transit of charcoal in a dose-dependent manner (64.95% at 100 mg/Kg and 80.24% at 200 mg/Kg) and increases the in vivo antidiarrhoeal index in the same way [120].