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. 2020 Oct 29;25(21):5015.
doi: 10.3390/molecules25215015.

Chemical Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of the Fungus-Growing Termite Strain Macrotermes Bellicosus Used in Traditional Medicine in the Republic of Benin

Dima Hammoud Mahdi  1   2 , Jane Hubert  3   4 , Jean-Hugues Renault  3 , Agathe Martinez  3 , Andreas Schubert  5 , Kathrin Monika Engel  2 , Blaise Koudogbo  1 , Zacharie Vissiennon  1 , Virgile Ahyi  1 , Karen Nieber  6 , Cica Vissiennon  2
Affiliations

Chemical Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of the Fungus-Growing Termite Strain Macrotermes Bellicosus Used in Traditional Medicine in the Republic of Benin

Dima Hammoud Mahdi et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The fungus growing termite species Macrotermes bellicosus (M. bellicosus) is used in nutrition and traditional medicine in the Republic of Benin for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Previous findings demonstrated evidence of anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic properties of M. bellicosus. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of different extracts of M. bellicosus samples and determine the chemical profile of an ethanolic M. bellicosus extract. Chemical profiling was conducted using centrifugal partition chromatography and 13C-NMR, followed by MALDI-TOF MS. Major identified compounds include hydroquinone (HQ), methylhydroquinone (MHQ), 3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl glycol (DHPG), N-acetyldopamine (NADA) and niacinamide. The fatty acid mixture of the extract was mainly composed of linoleic and oleic acid and highlights the nutritional purpose of M. bellicosus. Using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay, an antibacterial activity of M. bellicosus samples was observed against various clinical strains with a highest growth inhibition of S. aureus. In addition, HQ and MHQ as well as fractions containing DHPG, niacinamide and NADA inhibited S. aureus growth. The reported antimicrobial activity of M. bellicosus and identified active substances provide a rationale for the traditional medicinal use of M. bellicosus.

Keywords: Macrotermes bellicosus; Republic of Benin; antibacterial activity; hydroquinone; methylhydroquinone; termite; traditional medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that first author Dima Hammoud Mahdi received financial support for mobility via the Dr. Willmar Schwabe Research Scholarship (2017) from Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analyses, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. Author Jane Hubert was employed by the company NatExplore SAS and author Cica Vissiennon was employed by the company Repha GmbH Biologische Arzneimittel. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
13C-NMR chemical shift clusters obtained by applying hierarchical clustering analysis on CPC fractions of an ethanolic M. bellicosus extract (soldier caste) collected from Abomey-Calavi and identified chemical structures. Fractions or pure substances that were assayed for antimicrobial activity are highlighted in blue.
Figure 2
Figure 2
MALDI-TOF mass spectra of ethanolic M. bellicosus extract (soldier caste) collected from Abomey-Calavi. Spectra were recorded in the positive (upper part) and negative ionization mode (lower part) in the presence of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (0.5 M) dissolved in methanol as matrix. The most prominent peaks are assigned to the underlying phospholipid species. Lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PE).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Growth curves of S. aureus incubated with ethanolic M. bellicosus extracts (soldier caste) collected in Abomey Calavi, MBEAB (A); MBEAB CPC-fraction 7 (B); MBEAB CPC-fraction 10 (C) as well as the reference substances methylhydroquinone (D) and hydroquinone (E). The data shown are a compilation of four independent experiments done in triplicate with optical density at 600 nm (OD600nm). Data are presented as mean ± SD (dotted line); IC50 (95% confidence interval).
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