Kings University OER

Five local medicinal plants used in folkloric treatment of skin infection were used against four bacteria and fungi that are not principal agents in skin diseases to test for their broad spectrum antimicrobial activities.

These organisms are implicated in other diseases like wound infections, urinary tract infections, pulmonary infections, zygomycosis, mucomycosis, thyphoid, shigellosis, diarrhea, respiratory tract infections e.t.c. The plants include; Butyrosporum paradoxum Pseudocedrella kotschii, Cleorodendrum capitalum, Cassia occidentalis and Piliostigma reticulatum. Solvents such as ethanol, methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, N-hexane and sterile water were used to extract the active components of the plants. The ethanol extracts of B. paradoxum at concentrations of between 100mg/ml to 10mg/ml were active against salmonella typhorium and Klebsiella with zones of inhibition ranging from 24mm + 0.94 to 10mm + 1.19. Ethanolic extract of Pseudocedralla kotschyii was active against Salmonella typhimorium, Klebsiella and pseudomonas aeruginosa with zones of inhibition ranging from 26mm + 1.19 to 12mm + 0.84. Ethanol extract of Cleorodendrum capitalum was active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhorium and shigella with zones of inhibition ranging from 22mm + 0.89 to 12mm + 0.94. The methanolic extract of this plant was also active against P. aeruginosa and S. typhorium with inhibition range of 22mm + 1.19 and 12mm + 0.89.Ethanolic extract of P reticulatum was also active against S. typhorium and Shigella with Inhibition zones of 18mm + 1.12 and 14mm + 0.89 at relatively high concentration of between 100mg/ml and 60mm/ml. The antifungal analyses also showed activity with B. paradoxum showing fungal inhibition with zones ranging from 20mm+ 0.89 to 10mm+ 1.19 against Sycephalastrum racemosum, Synnematum spp and Giberella saffulta. The ethanolic extract of P. kotchyii showed activity against S. racemoum and S. spp with inhibition zones of between 24mm+ 0.89 to 12mm + 0.84. Ethanol extract of C. occidentalis was active against all fungal strains including Cumminghamella elegans with zones ranging from 22mm+ 1.19 to 14mm+ 0.89. The methanol extract of C. capitalum was active against C. elegans with zones ranging from 20mm+ 0.89 to 12mm + 1.12 while the ethanolic extract was active against G. saffulta with zones ranging from 18mm + 1.19 to 12mm. + 0.84. They ethanolic extract of P. reticulatum showed static activity against S. racemosum

but cidal activity against C. elegans with zones of inhibition raging from 20mm + 0.84 to 14mm+ 0.89.Phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponin, tannin, alkaloid, cardiac glycoside, phlombatannin, flavonoids e.t.c. Negative and positive control using standard antibiotics showed most of the test organisms are resistant to the antibiotics. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was sensitive to Nitrofnrantoin and gentamycin. S. racemosum was sensitive to ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin and ofloxacin G. saffulta was sensitive to ofloxacin.