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The antibacterial activities of the plants, Mitragyna inermis, Morinda lucida, Khaya senegalensis and Nauclea latifolia were investigated using an indicator-based microdilution technique. The extracts of the plants in water, methanol, chloroform and petroleum ether inhibited growth of bacteria in broth cultures. M. inermis with the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.03g/ml was the bacteriologically most active plant. The chi-square value (10.25) and F-statistic value (4.36) were significant at less than 0.05 level and implied that inhibition of bacterial growth was significantly associated with the type of plant investigated. The R value obtained on regressing bacterial inhibition on the independent variables -type of plant, plant part (leaf or stem bark) and extraction solvent used -was 0.57 (p < 0.01 level), and means that the independent variables put together influenced inhibition of bacterial growth . The findings of this study suggest the effectiveness of the microdilution technique in the phytochemical screening of plants for antibacterial activities.

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Leaf spot of pawpaw is hereby reported for the first time in Nigeria. The symptom is characterized by a papery center surrounded by a yellow halo. The causal organism is Corynespora cassiicola. Ripe fruits and abaxial surfaces of the leaves were significantly more susceptible to infection than unripe fruits and adaxial surfaces of leaves. Growth and sporulation of the fungus on several media was investigated. The organism grew faster on malt-extract agar (MEA) derived media and slowest on potato-dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with thiamine. Sporulation was highest on Czapek-dox agar (CDA) plus biotin and lowest on PDA and PDA + thiamine. Reasons for increased susceptibility of ripe fruit are discussed.