Antimicrobial Activity Of Sourplum (Ximenia Caffra) Leaf Extracts Against Staphylococcus Aureus And Escherichia Coli · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Mudariki, Munashe

Title

Antimicrobial Activity Of Sourplum (Ximenia Caffra) Leaf Extracts Against Staphylococcus Aureus And Escherichia Coli

Abstract

Traditional medicine has become one of the latest innovations in dealing with drug resistant bacteria. Ximenia caffra is being used in rural areas to treat stomach pains, fever and also other skin conditions, by using different parts of the tree. This study serves to exploit the antimicrobial activity Ximenia caffra leaf extracts in ethanol and hexane thereby determining the best solvent for extraction and also to observe the different phytochemicals present. The disc diffusion assay was adopted to determine the antibacterial activity and evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Phytochemical screening was done by adding chemicals such as ferric chloride, acid, Benedict’s reagent, alkaline solutions and potassium iodide, and observing the colour changes. Hexane was the best extraction solvent with mean extraction yield percentages of 12.6, 9.6 and 8 whilst ethanol had 8.5, 1.16 and 6 and water had 5.Tannins,reducing sugars, alkaloids, flavonoids and phenols were present in the aqueous solution ;ethanol extract contained tannins, reducing sugars, alkaloids and phenols ;hexane extract had alkaloids and reducing sugars. Ethanolic extracts had greater antibacterial activity with mean zones of inhibition of 22.7±8.9 and 13±4.9 mm whilst hexane had 16.7±6.4 and 2.2±0.4 mm of E. coli and S. aureus respectively. Serial dilutions of 10 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml were prepared. Staphylococcus aureus growth was supported in hexane at all concentrations whilst in ethanol the mean diameters were 11±1.5mm, 4±0.9mm and 0 ±0.4 respectively. For E. coli in ethanol the mean zones were 20±5.4, 15±3.1 and 9±2.2 mm respectively whilst in hexane antimicrobial activity was only shown at 10 mg/ml with a diameter of 10 mm. When the data was analysed, the p value was 0.00 which is below the alpha level 0.05 therefore Ximenia caffra has antimicrobial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Ethanolic extracts have greater antimicrobial activity than hexane and aqueous extracts and also Ximenia caffra is highly active against Escherichia coli than Staphylococcus aureus.

Date

JUNE 2024

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Antimicrobio, Sourplum (Ximenia Caffra), Staphylococcus Aureus, Escherichia Coli

Supervisor

Mr J Ndava