Callistemon Citrinus (Curtis) Skeels as A Source of Antitubercular Compounds

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a principal cause of death in the world. There is considerable emphasis for search of novel drugs against TB due to increased Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance and co infection with Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that are challenging to treat. Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) skeels is one of the medicinal plants that are used in treatment of tuberculosis by local communities in Uganda. Though crude extracts from the plant have shown antimycobacterial activity invitro, the specific phytochemicals responsible for this activity are not known. The study aimed at isolating and characterizing compounds from C. citrinus and testing the compounds on different strains of M. tuberculosis.