Abstract

ANTIBACTERIAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ACTIVITIES OF MORINGA OLEIFERA ON BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH WOUND INFECTION AND GASTROENTERITIS

*Eze, V.C., Nwankwo, I.U. and Eluwa, O.V.

Abstract

Antibacterial activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of different parts of Moringa oleifera plant were evaluated against some human bacteria pathogens. The results obtained showed presence of spanonins, tannin, flavonoids, starch, steroids and Cyanogenic glucoside in all the plant parts studied though a component may be present in one or two parts and absent in the other. The activity of the extracts varied with the extracting solvents as well as with the test bacterial species. The mean inhibition zone diameters of the aqueous extracts of the different parts of the plant on the growth of the pathogens ranged as follows: Escherichia coli, 5.67 ± 0.58mm – 7.67 ± 0.58mm; Staphylococcus aureus, 6.33 ± 0.58mm – 14.33 ± 1.53mm; Pseudomonas aeruginosa , 6.67 ± 0.58mm – 11.67 ± 1.15mm and Salmonella, 7.67 ± 0.58mm – 16.33 ± 1.53mm. The mean inhibition zone diameters of the ethanolic extracts of the different parts of the plant on the growth of the pathogens ranged as follows: Escherichia coli, 7.67 ± 0.58mm – 16.67 ± 1.15mm; Staphylococcus aureus, 7.33 ± 1.15mm – 16.50 ± 0.87mm, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 7.00 ± 1.0mm – 18.00 ± 2.00mm; Salmonella, 8.00 ± 0.58mm – 13.33 ±0.58mm. However, the leaf extracts had the highest activity on the pathogens in both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts while the leaf stalk extract recorded the least activity except on Escherichia coli where the seed had the least activity. The standard antibiotics were found to be more active on the organisms than the extracts. The potency of the extracts against the pathogens was attributed to the different phytochemical substances present in the plant parts.

Keywords: Moringa oleifera, antibacterial, phytochemical, bacteria, wound, infection, gastroenteritis.