ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Anti-tuberculosis activity of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide from Andrographis paniculata against drug-sensitive and MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Jelin Vilvest, M. C. John Milton, Alex Yagoo, and Kedike Balakrishna

Department of Advanced Zoology & Biotechnology, Loyola College (Autonomous), Chennai, India

E-mail: jelin@loyolacollege.edu

Received: 16 January 2025  Accepted: 22 July 2025

Abstract:

Andrographis paniculata has been traditionally used in Asian medicine for treating respiratory infections, including tuberculosis (TB), due to its known antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. In the present study, we evaluated the antitubercular potential of crude extracts, chromatographic fractions, and an isolated diterpenoid compound, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Rv and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Sequential extraction of dried plant material was performed using hexane, chloroform, and methanol, followed by bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation of the active compound via column chromatography. Anti-TB activity was assessed using the microbroth dilution method in Middlebrook 7H9 medium, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determined based on turbidity and the absence of bacterial cord formation. Among the crude extracts, the methanol extract showed significant activity with an MIC of 250 µg/mL. The isolated compound exhibited complete growth inhibition at 125 µg/mL against H₃₇Rv, and at 125 µg/mL, 62.5 µg/mL, and 125 µg/mL against MDR clinical isolates 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In comparison, rifampicin and isoniazid showed MICs of 1.0 µg/mL and 0.1 µg/mL against H₃₇Rv but demonstrated reduced efficacy (> 1.0 µg/mL and > 0.1 µg/mL) against the MDR strains. This is the first report to demonstrate the anti-tuberculosis efficacy of 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide. These findings support its potential as a promising therapeutic lead for the development of new drugs targeting drug-resistant TB.

Keywords: Andrographis paniculata; Anti-tuberculosis; 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide; Multidrug-resistant; Tuberculosis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04268-1

Chemical Papers 79 (11) 7527–7536 (2025)