Background: Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) remains the most aggressive oncological challenge within the African continent, characterized by high molecular heterogeneity, early onset in African women, and the absence of hormonal receptors. Multi-drug resistance (MDR), driven by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux pumps and supported by the persistence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) within the tumor microenvironment, significantly compromises clinical outcomes and traditional treatment efficacy. Objective: This systematic review evaluates the ethnobotanical relevance, phytochemical diversity, and toxicity of some medicinal plants from the African pharmacopoeia specifically utilized or investigated for their activity against the TNBC phenotype. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was executed across PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and AJOL. The study focuses on original research published between 2011 and 2026 utilizing TNBC-specific models (such as MDA-MB-231, BT-20, HCC1937, or 4T1) and analyses the growth habits, parts used, and traditional administration modes of the selected African plant species, distributed across Western, Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa. Following a rigorous multi-reviewer screening process, a final set of 52 primary articles representing 30 distinct genera and 22 botanical families was selected for qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Results: This review identifies plant species actively used or studied in Africa for their anti-TNBC potential, with the most representative botanical families being Asteraceae (13%), Fabaceae (7%), and Annonaceae (7%). These species are traditionally administered through various methods, including decoction, infusion, and mastication, utilizing diverse plant parts such as leaves, stem and root barks. Significant cytotoxic activities against TNBC cell lines (notably MDA-MB-231) were recorded, with IC50 values as low as 5.10 ± 0.28 µg/mL for Catharanthus roseus and 13.56 µg/mL for Nauclea pobeguinii. Furthermore, species such as Vernonia amygdalina and Curcuma longa demonstrated a capacity to enhance the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy like Doxorubicin, suggesting a strong potential for chemosensitization and therapeutic synergy in managing resistant breast cancer phenotypes. Conclusions: Standardized African phytomedicines represent a promising frontier in overcoming TNBC chemoresistance. However, the lack of clinical trials and end-to-end drug development infrastructure on the continent remains a significant barrier. Transitioning to nano-formulated delivery systems and establishing regional drug discovery hubs under the ethical framework of the Nagoya Protocol are essential steps toward developing precise and equitable oncology treatments from Africa’s rich biodiversity.

Four previously undescribed 13β,28-oxidooleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, maekamerunosides A-D (1-4), together with one new triterpenoid aglycone, maekamerunogenin (6), and the known saponin maesargentoside IV (5), were isolated from the stem bark of Maesa kamerunensis. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS) and chemical methods, including acid hydrolysis and GC-MS analysis of sugar moieties. The isolated saponins share a common oleanane-type aglycone featuring a rare 13β,28-epoxy bridge and are characterized by complex oligosaccharide chains containing glucuronic acid, galactose, and rhamnose units. Biological evaluation of the MeOH extract, n-BuOH fraction, and isolated compounds (1-5) revealed moderate to significant bioactivities. Compound 4 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 95.19 ± 1.15, 135.74 ± 0.80, and 117.04 ± 0.98 μM in β-carotene-linoleic acid, DPPH•, and ABTS+• assays, respectively. Compound 5 showed notable butyrylcholinesterase inhibition (IC50 = 93.4 ± 0.74± 0.74 μM) and the highest inhibitory effects against α-glucosidase (31.29 ± 0.85%) and α-amylase (27.72 ± 0.77 ± 0.77%) at 200 μg/mL. Additionally, compound 5 demonstrated the strongest urease inhibition (IC50 = 15.90 ± 0.52 μM), while no significant tyrosinase inhibition was observed. These findings suggest that M. kamerunensis is a valuable source of structurally diverse triterpenoid saponins and that synergistic effect in the crude extract may contribute to its enhanced bioactivity.

A chemical reinvestigation of the n-hexane soluble portion of the methanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Helichrysum foetidum Moench. afforded five known secondary metabolites. Foetidumin A (1), was subjected to chemical derivatizations, yielding three new semisynthetic derivative namely, (4 R) ent-3-keto-19-norbeyer-15-ene (1a), ent-3β-acetoxy-15R,16S-epoxybeyeran-19-oic acid (1b), and ent-3R,15S,16S-trihydroxybeyeran-19-oic acid (1d), along with a known ent-3β-hydroxy-15-beyeren-19-oic acid (1c). Their structures were assigned on the basis of their spectrometric (HRESIMS) and spectroscopic (1D and 2D) NMR data. Foetidumin A (1) exhibited significant activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC = 4.7 µg/mL), Mycobacterium smegmatis and Bacillus subtilis (MIC = 9.4 µg/mL), and a moderate activity against Escherichia coli (MIC = 18.8 µg/mL), while compounds 1a and 1b exhibited moderate activities against P. aeruginosa (MIC = 75 and 37.5 µg/mL, respectively). The in silico molecular docking analysis indicated that progressive structural modification away from the reference scaffold disrupts productive binding within the 4OAD (P. aeruginosa) active site.

The leaves, stems and fruits methanol extracts of Chasmanthera dependens were chemically investigated to afford one new neo-clerodane diterpenoid (1) along with seventeen known compounds including three diterpenoids (2-4), six triterpenoids (5-10), four steroids (11-14), one sesquiterpenoid (15), one lignan (16) and two phenolic acids (17 and 18). Structures were established by analysis of their spectroscopic and spectrometric data and in comparison with those reported from the literature. Except columbin (2), compounds are reported for the first time from the genus Chasmanthera. The extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds were subjected to in vitro antibacterial assays against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria, using the broth microdilution method. The MeOH extract of the leaves and its fractions F1-F4 had significant (MIC = 93.8 mu g/mL for F4) or moderate (187.5 <= MIC <= 375 mu g/mL) activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chasmantherenolide (1) was moderately active (MIC = 75 mu g/mL, 202.6 mu M) against Gram-positive bacterial strains. Significant antibacterial activity (MIC = 9.4 mu g/mL, 20.6 mu M) was recorded for oleanolic acid (7) against Mycobacterium smegmatis. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed.

A previously undescribed ceramide, crinceramide (1), along with nineteen known compounds (2-20) were isolated from Crinum ornatum (L.f.) Herb. using column chromatography techniques over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. The structure of the new compound was established by different spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D-NMR, HRESI-MS and chemical conversions. The extract and fractions had strong activities on three human cancer cells (lung A549, breast MCF7, and cervical HeLa) with IC50 from <0.63 to 9.76 mu g/mL whereas compounds displayed IC50 ranging from 39.79 to > 100 mu M. Moupinamide (2) was the most active with IC50 39.79 +/- 0.47 mu M on A549 cell and 1 had IC50 > 100 mu M against all cells used. The antibacterial activity was also assayed and moupinamide (2) had significant activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis (MIC = 9.7 mu g/mL) while other samples possessed mostly weak and moderate activities. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first isolation of ceramide from the Crinum genus, providing new insights into the chemodiversity of this genus. Moreover, new data concerning the pharmacological properties of C. ornatum (L.f.) Herb. and its chemophenetic significance in the genus Crinum and the Amaryllidaceae family were revealed.

Two new cerebrosides, raphimanosides A (1) and B (2), and a new ceramide, raphimanide (3), were isolated from the aerial parts of Raphidiocystis mannii Hook. f., along with ten known compounds (4–13). Their structures were fully established, based on extensive analyses of 1H, 13C, DEPT, 2D NMR, ESIMS, and HRESIMS data and chemical conversion. Subsequently, methanol extract, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol soluble portions and the isolated compounds 1–9, 12, and 13 were assayed for their cytotoxic effects against three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa and A549). None of the new compounds demonstrated efficacy against the tested cell lines. In contrast, the methanol extract, ethyl acetate soluble portion, and compounds 6, 7, 9, 12, and 13 showed moderate to low activities against different tested cell lines. Ethyl acetate soluble portion and compounds 13 and 7 were the most potent samples with the IC50 value of 41.25 μg/mL, 36.76 μM, and 13.16 μM against MCF-7, HeLa, and A549 cell lines, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the inaugural investigation into the chemical constituents of the genus Raphidiocystis, offering novel insights into the chemotaxonomy of this hitherto poorly understood genus.

Phytochemical investigation of the methanol extracts from the stem bark and leaves of Lannea velutina afforded a new diarylpropanoid (1) and eighteen previously described compounds from other plants. They included eleven flavonoids (2-12), three triterpenoids (13-15), three steroids (16-18) and one sugar (19). The structure of compound 1 was established by analysis of its spectroscopic and spectrometric data. All the isolated compounds are here reported for the first time from L. velutina species while only compounds 3, 6, 8, 10, 13-16 and 18 were previously reported from the genus Lannea. The extracts, fractions, and compounds were subjected to in vitro antibacterial assays against one Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212) and three Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella Typhi ATCC 6539 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4C 76110) bacteria. The MeOH extract from the stem bark, its chromatographic fraction C and the EtOAc partitioned leaves extract showed significant activity against the growth of E. faecalis, E. coli and P. aeruginosa (16 <= MIC <= 64 mu g/mL). Lannepoxide (1) inhibition activities were 16 <= MIC <= 128 mu g/mL against the four bacterial strains. The findings demonstrated the chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds and their potential as antimicrobial

A previously unidentified endiandric acid derivative named beilschmiedic acid P (1), together with eight (2-9) known compounds including four pentacyclic triterpenoids (3-6), one amide (2) and, three steroids (7-9) were isolated from Beilschmiedia acuta stem barks. Chromatographic techniques were used for these isolations while their characterization was based on their one-/two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry experiments. The antibacterial activity of the new compound (1) was tested via INT colourimetric assay against nine bacterial strains all expressing multidrug-resistant phenotypes including Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP55), Escherichia coli (AG102 and ATCC8739), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA124 and PA01), Enterobacter aerogenes (EA27 and ATCC13048) and Providencia stuartii (PS2636 and ATCC29916). The activity was categorised based on the scale described by Kuete (2010), as significantly active for minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≤ 10 µg/mL, moderately active for 10 µg/mL < MIC ≤ 100 µg/mL and weakly active for MIC > 100 µg/mL. The results showed a moderately active antibacterial activity of compound 1 at a rate of 77.78% (7/9) on the tested strains that is, seven out of the nine bacteria were sensitive to the action of the tested compound. Among the tested strains, E. coli (ATCC8739) showed the most efficient MIC value of 16 µg/mL.

Phytochemical investigation of Alsophila manniana rhizomes led to the isolation of twelve known compounds, including two triterpenes ( 1 and 2 ), four steroids ( 3 - 6 ), one glycerol ( 7 ), three phenols ( 8 - 10 ), and two flavonoids ( 11 and 12 ). Their structures were elucidated by analyses of the NMR and MS data and by comparisons with those in the literature. Their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities were evaluated against Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus subtilis; and on human lung A549, cervical HeLa, and breast MCF-7 cancer cell lines, respectively. Fractions F D and F F had significant activities against E. coli (MIC = 75 mu g/mL) and K. pneumoniae (MICs = 75 and 37.5 mu g/mL). Compounds 3 and 7 - 12 had moderate antibacterial activities with MIC values ranging from 75 to 150 mu g/mL against the bacteria. All samples were inactive against all tested human cancer cell lines, even at 100 mu g/mL. This is the first investigation of the chemical constituents of A. manniana , as well as the first report of compounds 3 , 7 , and 10 - 12 from the genus Alsophila . The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds is discussed.

In the search of cytotoxic dihydrochalcones, this investigation led to the isolation of seven compounds (1-7) from Eriosema glomeratum and the preparation of eight derivatives (8-15). The cytotoxicity of samples was evaluated against lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and cervical (HeLa) human cancer cells. The CH2Cl2/MeOH extract of the aerial part had strong cytotoxicity against all cells [IC50 11.2 (MCF-7), 8.4 (HeLa) and 13.1 (A549) μg/mL]. A strong activity was also displayed by the n-hexane fraction on MCF-7 (IC50 11.2 μg/mL). The precursor 3 and the derivative 8 were specifically found as strong cytotoxic agents toward MCF-7 (7.6 μM) and HeLa (3.1 μM), respectively and were more effective than the positive control. Derivatives 8 (3.1 μM) and 9 (21.3 μM) against HeLa were most potent than their precursor 3 (23.7 μM). This is the first preparation of 8-14 as well as the cytotoxicity of 3, 4, 8-15, fractions, and extract.

Phytochemical investigation of the EtOAc soluble fraction from leaves of Trichilia dregeana Sond. (Meliaceae) afforded naturally rare four new pentacyclic triterpenoids (1-4), together with five known pentacyclic analogs (5-8, and 11) and two steroids (9 and 10). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic techniques such as 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by using the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory assay indicated that the EtOAc fraction as well as 4 and 7 inhibited the NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells with the IC50 values of 83.53 mu g/mL and 81.31 and 85.71 mu M, respectively. Compounds 1-4 are rare 19(10 -> 9)abeo-euphane-type triterpenoids bearing a 3,10-ether bridge. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first isolation of triterpenoids with the 3,10-ether bridge in their skeleton from the genus Trichilia, providing new insights into the chemodiversity of the terpenoids in T. dregeana.

Chemical investigation of the acetone-soluble sub-fraction of the methanolic extract of the stem bark of Ochna afzelii R. Br. (ex Oliv.) led to the isolation of fourteen known secondary metabolites comprising two dimeric chalcones namely dihydrolophirone M (1) and lophirone L (2), two rearranged biflavonoids: lophirone A (3) and 4 & tprime;-methoxylophirone A (4), two biflavanone derivatives: biflavanone I (5) and biflavanone II (6), two isoflavonoids: methylirisolin (7) and biochanin A (8), one flavanol: epicatechin (9), one phenolic acid: 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (10), one anthraquinone: physcion (11), two triterpenoids: lupeol (12) and oleanolic acid (13), and one steroid: sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (14). Biochanin A (8) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (10) are herein reported for the first time from the family Ochnaceae. The antibacterial activity was assessed in vitro against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The crude methanolic extract as well as its acetone-soluble and insoluble fractions exhibited high to significant antibacterial activity, while isolated compounds mostly displayed moderate antibacterial activity (MIC = 16-64 mu g/mL).

Trichilia dregeana Sond. (Meliaceae) is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat wounds. The anti-inflammatory potential of the ethyl acetate leaf extract and the presence of euphane-type triterpenes in this extract have recently been reported by our group. Further investigation of the remaining subfractions of the ethyl acetate fraction afforded a new 19(10→9)abeo-euphane-type triterpenoid (1), along with six known terpenoids (2-7). The structure of the new compound was elucidated by analyses of the HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR data and by comparison with previously reported data. We investigated the ability of the compounds to modulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The known compounds 3 and 6 exhibited moderate (IC50 72.06 μM) and mild (IC50 98.84 μM) inhibitory activities, respectively, without cytotoxic effects on the cells. These results, in conjunction with our previous findings, emphasize the significant role of terpenoid components in the anti-inflammatory efficacy of T. dregeana leaves and indicate that the rare 3,10-epoxy-19(10→9)abeo-euphane triterpenoids could serve as a chemotaxonomic marker for T. dregeana.

Two new glycosylflavones, 6 ''-O-acetyl-8-C-beta-D-galactopyranosylchrysoeriol (1) and 8-C-beta-D-galactopyranosylchrysoeriol (2) were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Ochna afzelii Oliv., along with four known compounds namely 8-C-beta-D-galactopyranosylapigenin (3), ochnaflavone (4), sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5) and D-mannitol (6). Isolation was performed chromatographically and the structures of the purified compounds were elucidated by analyzing their spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. The antibacterial activity of extract, fractions, and compounds 1 - 4 was evaluated using broth microdilution method against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria while the antioxidant capacity was performed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The new flavones (1 and 2) displayed moderate antibacterial activities (MIC = 32 - 64 mu g/mL) and weak antioxidant properties.

An extensive phytochemical study on the combined methanolic extracts from the stem barks and roots of Phyllopentas schimperi (Hochst.) Y. D. Zhou & Q. F. Wang (syn. Pentas schimperi (Hochst.) Wieringa) led to the isolation of a new anthraquinone, schimperiquinone C (1) along with nineteen known secondary metabolites 2–20. The structures of all the isolated compounds were elucidated through spectroscopic techniques including 2D NMR. The new compound and the less common secondary metabolites 2–17 were tested for their pharmacological properties. Compounds 4, 5 and 6 exhibited significant antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibition activities, whereas compounds 2–5, 7–10, 12 and 17 had a potent urease inhibitory activity. Compounds 8 and 10 had the best urease inhibitory activities as compared to thiourea. Compounds 3, 9, 11, 12 and 17 are reported for the first time from the genus Pentas. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed. Our results could be used for the chemotaxonomy of this species within the genus Pentas and for the Rubiaceae family. The obtained results suggested that some constituents from this plant may be used as such or in the form of their derivatives for the treatment of ulcer.

The phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of the leaves of Hymenocardia acida (Euphorbiaceae) resulted in the isolation of twelve known secondary metabolites including flavonolignan (1), coumarin (2), chromone (3), C-glucosylated flavonoid (4), bisphenylpropanoid (5), triterpenoids (6-9) and steroids (10-12), respectively. Their structures were elucidated by comparison of their physical and spectroscopic data with those reported in literature. This is the first report on isolation of compounds 1-5 and 10 from the family Euphorbiaceae. The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds has been discussed. Hydnocarpin (1), 7-hydroxycoumarin (2), 5,7-dihydroxy-2-n-pentacosanylchrom-4-one (3), luteolin 6-C-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), katsumadin (5) and friedelanone (6), were evaluated in vitro for their anti-free radical scavenging activity as well as inhibitory potential against the enzyme urease. Compounds 4 and 5 exhibited potent anti-free radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 20.20 +/- 0.19 mu M and 15.60 +/- 0.22 mu M, respectively), while compounds 1-4 showed significant urease inhibitory activity (IC50 = 25.60 +/- 0.59 mu M, 33.20 +/- 0.73 mu M, 27.60 +/- 0.69 mu M and 26.60 +/- 0.13 mu M, respectively).

Background: Inflammation is a natural body’s defense mechanism against harmful stimuli such as pathogens, chemicals, or irradiation. But when the inflammatory response becomes permanent, it can lead to serious health problems. In the present study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of the Eriosema montanum methanolic extract (EMME), as well as its isolated fractions (FA-FJ) and compounds (1–7), were evaluated by using in vitro and cellular models. Methods: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using, respectively, Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, while 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhy-drazyl (DPPH), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were used to determine the antioxidant activity. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and column chromatography (CC) were used to isolate and purify the compounds and their elucidation using their NMR spectroscopic data. Results: EMME had moderate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, while fraction FF showed much higher efficacy with IC50 values of 34.64, 30.60, 16.43, and 77.29 μg/mL against DPPH, ABTS, NO, and 15-LOX inhibitory activities, respectively. The EMME fraction was found to be very rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds, with 82.11 mgQE/g and 86.77 mgGAE/g of dry extract, respectively. Its LC-MS profiling allowed us to identify genistin (5) as the most concentrated constituent in this plant species, which was further isolated together with six other known compounds, namely, n-hexadecane (1), heptacosanoic acid (2), tricosan-1-ol (3), lupinalbin A (4), d-pinitol (6), and stigmasterol glucoside (7). Given these compounds, genistin (5) showed moderate activity against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells compared to EMME, which suggested a synergy of (5) with other compounds. To the best of our knowledge, compounds (1), (2), and (3) were isolated for the first time from this plant species.

A new fructofuranoside glycerol, dryoptkirbioside (1), along with thirteen known compounds (2-14), was isolated from the MeOH extract of Dryopteris kirbi rhizomes by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semipreparative HPLC. The structure of the new compound was determined by analyses of its spectroscopic data including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and chemical conversions. The hexane-soluble portion and the EAFA fraction showed strong activities against lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and cervical (HeLa) human cancer cell lines (IC50 values ranging from 4.0 to 8.8 μg/mL). Aspidinol P (5) and aspidinol B (6) exhibited moderate to low cytotoxicity on the three cell lines (IC50 values ranging from 20.4 to 58.7 μM). The MeOH extract and hexane-soluble portion had excellent activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (MICs 11.7 and 23.4 μg/mL), whereas the AcOEt- and BuOH-soluble portions were significantly active on S. aureus (MICs 46.9 and 93.8 μg/mL). The main fractions EAFB , EAFC and nBFB displayed excellent activity against S. aureus (MICs 11.7 and 23.4 μg/mL). Aspidinol B (6) had significant activity, while aspidinol P (5) was moderately active against S. aureus and B. subtilis (MICs 42.0 and 89.5 μM).

A new ceramide named luteaceramide (1), along with sixteen known compounds including 3 alpha-hydroxy-27-p-(E)-coumaroyloxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid (2), 3 alpha-hydroxy-27-p-(Z)-coumaroyloxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid (3), 3-O- acetyl-alpha-amyrin (4), lupeol (5), a mixture of fl-sitosterol (6) and stigmasterol (7), 24-methylenecycloartenol (8), hexacosanol (9), ergosterol 5 alpha,8 alpha-endoperoxide (10), hexatriacontan-1-ol (11), 3fl-acetoxy-1fl,11 alpha-dihydrox-yolean-12-ene (12), palmitic acid (13), tormentic acid (14), alphitolic acid (15), fl-sitosterol-3-O-fl-D glucopyr-anoside (16), and ursolazuroside 1 (17) were obtained after phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the fruits of Ficus lutea. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by analyses of their spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D-NMR, HREI-MS and chemical conversions. The MeOH crude extract had weak activity against Proteus mirabilis (MIC 2.5 mg/mL). Luteaceramide (1), lupeol (5) and hexacosanol (9) showed a moderate antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with MIC ranging from 31 to 63 mu g/mL while 1 was weakly active against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and P. mirabilis with MIC between 125 and 250 mu g/mL. Compounds 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, and 17 are also reported for the first time from the genus Ficus. The chemotaxo-nomic significance of the isolated compounds was summarized. Our results on the isolation of a new ceramide (1), triterpenoids of ursan (2-4, 14 and 17)-, lupan (5 and 15)-, oleanan (12)-, and cycloartan (8)-types, steroids (6, 7, 10 and 16), alcohols (9 and 11), and a fatty acid (13) from F. lutea Vahl are in good agreement with the classification and the chemotaxonomy of this species for the genus Ficus and for the family Moraceae. The phytochemical analyses of plant species of the genus Ficus in most of the cases provided the isolation of ceramides. This class of secondary metabolites could be considered as one of the markers of the genus Ficus.

Two new stigmastane steroids (1 and 2) were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Vernonia glabra, together with seventeen known compounds (3-19) including one fatty acid, four triterpenoids, four steroids, one trinitropropanoyl glucoside, and seven flavonoids. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were assigned based on their IR, NMR and MS data, and by comparison with literature values. The MeOH extract, its fractions and isolated compounds were subjected to in vitro antibacterial assay against two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 and Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC49619) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC8739 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC10031) bacteria, using broth microdilution method. The extract and fractions exhibited (16 ≤ MIC ≤ 512 μg/mL) antibacterial activities. The isolated and tested compounds were also active (16 ≤ MIC ≤ 128 μg/mL) against the four pathogenic bacteria, with compound 2 being the most active and E. coli, the most sensitive microorganism.