SCREENING OF ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS

Abstract

The antimicrobial activities of the aqueous fresh bark extracts of Boswellia dalziellii, Ficus sycomorus and the leaves extracts of Pseudocedrela kotschyi were investigated against Ecsherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus species, Shigella dysenteriae, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella sonnei, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis species, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The leaves extract of Ficus sycomorus exhibited antibacterial activity against Salmonella typi only while there was antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium comparable to control. The water extract of the bark of Boswellia dazielli had an inhibitory effect against the bacterial isolates with the exception of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ,Salmonella typi and Staphylococcus species. There was however no detectable antifungal activity at the concentrations employed. The crude leaves extracts of Pseudocedrela kotschyi exhibited antifungal activities against the fungal isolates with the exception of Candida albicans and Penicillium; but show antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. These results confirm the earlier claim by herbal practitioner that these plants possess antimicrobial activity.