Abstract

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE STEM BARK OF TRICHILIA TESSMANNII (HARMS) AND TRICHILIA MONADELPHA (THONN) J.J. DE WILDE BOTH OF THE FAMILY MELIACEAE

Isaac. Ayensu* and Anna Kwarley Quartey

ABSTRACT

The present work has evaluated the antimicrobial activities of two medicinal plants; Trichilia tessmannii (Harms) and Trichilia monadelpha (Thonn) J.J. de Wilde both of the family Meliaceae. Dried pulverized plant materials of both plants were serially extracted by soxhlet extraction to obtain three extracts of each plant sample (i.e. petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts). The antimicrobial activity was determined by broth dilution method using standardized bacteria suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungus, Candida albicans. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity was observed for all extracts except the petroleum ether extract of T. Tessmannii. A minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.625 mg/mL was determined as the highest activity for the ethyl acetate extract of T. Tessmannii against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Lowest MIC of >10 mg/mL was however recorded by the petroleum ether extract of T. Tessmannii against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Keywords: Trichilia monadelpha, Trichilia tessmannii, Infectious diseases, broth dilution, antimicrobial activity.