Antibacterial and Phytochemical Activities of the Crude Extracts of VernoniaamygdalinaDel. and OcimumgratissimumL.

Abstract

The antibacterial and phytochemical activities of ethanolic, methanolic and water extracts of VernoniaamygdalinaDel. and OcimumgratissimumL.was investigated invitro on Staphylococcus aureus,Proteus vulgaris Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Citrobacter spp. Cold maceration method was used to extract the active components from plants. Susceptibility testing was carried out using agar diffusion and broth dilution technique. Phytochemical activity of crude extracts were carried out using standard procedures. All the bacterial isolates were susceptible to at least one plant extract except Proteus vulgaris which was resistant to all plant extracts. Staphylococcus aureus was susceptible to all the plant extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of extracts of these plants ranged from 12.5 to 50mg/ml and 25 to 100 mg/ml respectively.Anthraquinone was present in leaves of both plants however, absent in O.gratissimum seeds. The study offer a scientific basis for the traditional use of water and ethanol extracts of V. amygdalina and O. gratissimumfor treating diseases.Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible organism to the extracts which suggests that Vernoniaamygdalina and Ocimumgrattisimum could be used to treat diseases caused by this microorganism.