Phytochemical Analysis and Antimycobacterial Properties of Wild Baboon Fecal Matter from Eastern Cape, South Africa

The persistent rise of multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates a continued search for new potent drugs. Plants are a great source of therapeutic agents; the challenge is finding these therapeutic plants. Wild Baboons are self-sufficient animals that can find edible and non-nutritive plants for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, the excreta from the wild baboons will likely contain therapeutic agents. This study investigates the presence of antimycobacterial agents in wild ba-boon feces. Faecal samples were collected randomly from the forest, and ethanol and hydro-distillation extracts were prepared. The qualitative screening was performed using reagent tests. Quantitative analysis was conducted using GC-MS. Antimycobacterial testing was conducted using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a surrogate for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Microplate Alamar Blue Assay screening technique was employed. The qualitative screening showed the presence of Tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, phenolics, terpenoids, flavonoids, and steroids. Essential oils obtained from hydro-distillation were analyzed with GC-MS, and 26 compounds were quantified, including α-pinene, limonene, eucalyptol, and 2-Pentylfuran. Essential Oils showed activity at 0,5 mg/ml and ethanol extract at 2 mg/mL when tested against M. smegmatis. This study demonstrates that wild baboon feces contain biologically active plant secondary metabolites. Also, the findings of this study could be used to develop new effective anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis agents to improve the lives of humankind.