Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE UNCOMBINED AND COMBINED AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PHYLLANTHUS ACIDUS, SPHAGNETICOLA TRILOBATA LEAVES AND DOLIOCARPUS DENTATUS’S BARK AGAINST HUMAN PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS IN THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF A SELECTIVE TRANSITION METAl

*Jagessar R. C. and Hope S.

ABSTRACT

The search for alternative natural medicines to replace synthetic antibiotics is on the increase, considering the side effects produced by synthetic drugs, some of which are irreversible. The aqueous extract of leaves of Phyllanthus acidus, Sphagneticola trilobata and Doliocarpus dentatus’s bark, uncombined and combined in the absence and presence of Zn2+ were tested against selective pathogenic microorganism such as S. aureus, E.coli. K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and C.albicans using the Disc Diffusion Assay. The area of Zone of Inhibition, AZOI was taken as an indicator of the plant extract‟s antimicrobial potency. The highest AZOI of 397.4 mm2 was induced by P. acidus extract against S. aureus. In the absence of Zn2+ , zero AZOI was observed for the combined extract of P. acidus + S. Trilobata, S. trilobata + D. dentatus and P. acidus + D. dentatus against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. The combined plant extract, without Zn2+, seems to induce a higher AZOI against C. albicans and P. aeruginosa in comparison with the individual plant extract. However, the combined extracts induces AZOI of zero against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. For the combined plant extract with Zn2+, a lower AZOI was induced compared with the individual plant extract.. Selective antimicrobial activity were observed for the uncombined and combined extracts, with and without Zn2+ against some of the pathogens.

Keywords: Plant extracts, Antimicrobial potency, selectivity, Area of Zone of Inbition, Uncombined and Combined extracts.