In vitro antimicrobial properties of Bridelia ferruginea on some clinical isolates

Abstract

Ethanol and water extracts of Bridelia ferruginea were examined for antimicrobial properties. The leaf, bark and root extracts, which were tested from initial concentration of 100mg/ml to the final concentration of 6.25mg/ml, produced invitro antimicrobial activities in assays against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella dysentriae, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Hemophilus influenzae, Steptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The agar well diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial properties of the extracts. The results showed that the growths of the organisms were inhibited by both ethanolic and water extracts of B. ferruginea, although the water extracts of plant parts showed significantly lower zones of inhibition. Higher inhibitory effects were seen with the bark and leaf extracts of the plant using ethanol. However, little inhibitory effect was observed in water extracts of the leaves and bark of the plant and no growth was observed with water extract of the root. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the bark extract were 5.5, 10.5, 34.0 and 42.0 for P. aeruginosa, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, and P. mirabilis respectively.