Phytochemical Screening And Antibacterial Activities Of Some Medicinal Plants Against Food-Borne Microorganisms :- Obetta, Lilian C

ABSTRACT

 In the present study aqueous and ethanol extract of Tetrapleura tetraptera, Piper guineense and Xylopia aethiopica were investigated for antibacterial activity. The microorganisms employed were Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The susceptibility of bacteria species against the two extracts was determined using the disk diffusion method. The most susceptible microorganism is S. aureus while the least susceptible was E. coli. Highest antibacterial activity was observed with aqueous extract of X. aethiopica against the test organisms with zone inhibition ranging from 8-23mm while the minimum activity was observed with ethanol extract of T. tetraptera with 8-9mm zone ofinhibition. The aqueous extracts of all samples dominated ethanol extracts in inhibiting the growth of S.aureus and E. coli under study and were comparable to synthetic gentamycin used for positive control. Phytochemical analysis via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed a total of 41 compounds in all plant extracts, it was found that all contain in all the spices. Terpenes have been found to possess a variety of biological effect including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and preservative properties. The results obtained on the current investigation revealed that X. aethiopica herbal extracts possess potential antibacterial activity against entire tested organisms. T. tetraptera, P. guineense and X aethiopica used in folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal disorder could be successfully applied as natural antimicrobials sanitizer for elimination offoodbome bacteria and pathogens growth.