SCREENING OF SCLEROCARYA BIRREA FOR ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST CLINICAL ISOLATES CAUSING DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN
M. Yusha’u, A.H. Kawo and D.W. Taura.
Department of Microbiology, Bayero University, P. M. B. 3011, Kano.
Abstract:
Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hoechst,Anacardiaceae, is a medicinal plant mostly found and used medicinally in southern and West Africa including Nigeria. The stem-bark powder of the plant was extracted separately using water, methanol and hexane as extraction solvents via percolation method. The extracts were tested for antibacterial activity against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. using disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques followed by tests to detect the presence of secondary metabolites using standard procedures. Bioassay test results showed that Salmonella spp. was more sensitive to the plant extracts than the other test isolates with higher sensitivity to methanol (9 mm) and hexane (8 mm) extracts using disc diffusion test while hexane extract was more active than the other extracts particularly against Salmonella spp. with MIC and MBC values of 250 and 1000 µg/ml respectively. The results of phytochemical screening indicated the presence of secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, reducing sugars, tannins and saponins in some or all the extracts. The plant extracts were found show inhibitory activity against the test isolates and the activity of the extracts may be related to the presence secondary metabolites, some of which are reported to be responsible for antimicrobial properties of medicinal plants. The results suggest that Sclerocarya birrea used in this study has the potential for the production of drugs against bacterial infections.
