The in-vitro antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plants from Cameroon

Abstract

The antimicrobial activities of 10 plant species (Voacanga africana, Crepis cameroonica, Plagiostyles africana, Crotalaria retusa, Mammea africana, Lophira lanceolata, Ochna afzelii, Ouratea elongata, Ou. flava and Ou. sulcata), each of which is currently used in the traditional medicine of Cameroon, were investigated in vitro. The activities of a methanol extract of each plant were tested, in disc-diffusion assays, against 37 reference or laboratory strains of seven species of microorganism (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus hirae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). The minimal inhibitory concentrations of each extract were then estimated, against each of the more susceptible microorganisms (i.e. those giving an inhibition zone measuring at least 9 mm in diameter in the disc-diffusion assays), by agar dilution. Although, in the disc-diffusion assays, each of the 10 methanol extracts investigated displayed some degree of antimicrobial activity against at least one species of microorganism, no activity against the Gram-negative bacteria (Es. coli, K. pneumoniae and Ps. aeruginosa) was observed. The extract with the greatest antimicrobial activity was that of Pl. africana (Euphorbiaceae).

The in-vitro antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants against β-lactam-resistant bacteria

“…This finding was already reported [10,21] and could be explained by the different cell wall structures of these bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria possess an outer phospholipidic membrane with structural lipopolysaccharide components which is not found in Gram-positive bacteria.…”

“…In an ongoing programme of research and development of traditional medicine in Cameroon focused on the screening of traditionally used Cameroonian plants for antimicrobial properties, we have reported antibacterial activities on Gram positive bacteria [10], and beta-lactamase inhibitory properties of some plant extracts [11]. The present study was initiated to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of 17 crude extracts from 12 medicinal plants against beta-lactam-resistant bacteria.…”

Comparison of Antifungal Activity of Extracts of Ten Plant Species and Griseofulvin Against Human Pathogenic Dermatophytes

“…Some countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America use traditional medicine to help meet some of their primary health care needs [1]. The use of plant compounds to treat infections is an age-old practice in large parts of the world, especially in developing countries, where there is dependence on traditional medicine for a variety of diseases [2,3]. Interest in plants with antimicrobial properties has revived as a result of current problems associated with the use of antibiotics [4,5].…”

Antimicrobial Effect of Aqueous, Ethanol, Methanol and Glycerin Extracts of Satureja bachtiarica on Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis

“…The use of plant compounds to treat infections is an age-old practice in a large part of the world, especially in developing countries, where there is dependence on traditional medicine for a variety of diseases [7,8]. Interest in plants with antimicrobial properties has revived as a result of current problems associated with the use of antibiotics [9,10].…”