ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM AGAINST BACTERIA FROM PAEDIATRIC DIARRHOEAL STOOL SAMPLES IN THE TROPICS
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Date
2016
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Publisher
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
Abstract
The upsurge in the prevalence of side effects of many synthetic antimicrobial agents and inci dence of multidrug resistant bacteria has spurred scientists on the research for plant based an timicrobial of therapeutic potentials. Ocimum gratissimum presents such potential of high me dicinal value. This plant is used in Nigeria traditionally as condiments and for the treatment of
various ailments such as pyorrhea, dysentery and bronchitis. Aqueous and ethanolic leaf ex tracts of O. gratissimum was screened for antibacterial activity against bacteria recovered from
paediatric diarrhoea stool samples. Both extracts were found to exhibit selective inhibition
against the isolates. The diameter zones of inhibition exhibited by the extracts were between
2.50±0.50mm – 26.00±1.00mm. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts had minimum inhibitory
concentrations that ranged between 15 and 25mg/ml, the extracts were bacteriostatic. Ethanolic
extract showed more inhibitory effects compared to the aqueous extracts. The phytochemical
analysis of both extracts revealed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tan nins and glycosides, volatile oils, proteins and amino acids and terpernoids. In view of the effi cacy of these extracts in inhibiting the growth of diarrhoea- causing organisms in paediatric
stool samples, the utilization of the extracts in the formulation of new antibacterial drugs for the
treatment of gastroenteritis caused by these organisms is strongly recommended especially when
the availability and low cost of this medicinal plant are put into strong consideration.
Description
Keywords
Ocimum, diarrhoea, paediatric, stool, antibacterial
Citation
Odebisi – Omokanye et al., 2016