Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION OF LOZENGES FORMULATED WITH ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF Vernonia amygdalina.

Musiliu O. Adedokun* and Peace O. Chukwubuzor

ABSTRACT

The antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Vernonia amygdalina was carried out on isolated cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Aspergillus fumigates using standard procedures. V. amygdalina extract exhibited the highest activity on S. aureus and appreciable activity against cultures of E. coli and A. fumigates. The extract was then incorporated into a lozenge formulation and thereafter evaluated. Six batches of granulations for lozenges, weighing 500 mg each were produced. The granules’ flow rate, angle of repose, and compressibility indices were determined. The lozenges’ uniformity of weight, hardness, friability and disintegration time in distilled water were determined by established methods. Generally, there was poor flow but high compressibility for all the granulation batches. The hardness values for all the batches of the lozenges were not greaterthan 5 KgF and in the order: E> F> D> C> B> A. The friability values were in the order: E> A> C> B> F> D while disintegration times in distilled water followed the rank order C> D> F> E> B> A. Use of higher concentrations of binder would improve the quality parameters of the lozenge formulation which would encourage the application of the product in some oral infections.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Vernonia amygdalina; lozenge formulation; ethanolic extract.