ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIALS OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LINN: LEAVE EXTRACTS AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND FUNGI.

¹Afuape, A.O., ²Kadiri, M., ²Agboola, D.A., ³Adekunle, M.F., ⁴Ajiboye, A. ¹Keshinro, O. ³Oluwalana, S.A.

¹Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, ²Department of Pure and Applied Botany, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, ³Department of Forest and Wildlife, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,

⁴Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University Oye Ekiti

Email: afuape.abolaji@mapoly.edu.ng

ABSTRACT

Curing of diseases caused by pathogenic organism is important in health care system and trial of alternative medicine is important in this for good health care delivery. In-vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts of Ocimum gratissimum Linn.leaves was conducted using ethanol (70%), Corn Steep Liquor (CSL), and water as solvents and tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum using Agar well diffusion method. These organisms were collected on sterile agar slant and incubated at 37⁰C for 24 hours. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was also determined. Four different concentrations of the extracts were employed including 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml, 150 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml.  The findings indicated that the effect of the different concentrations of the extract of CSL, aqueous and ethanol were significantly different (p < 0.05) on the bacterial and fungal isolates tested. However, no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the zone of inhibition observed in aqueous extracts at 150 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml on Salmonella typhimurium, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum.  The least MIC value was found to be 6.25 ± 0.00 mg/ml and 5.21 ±1.04 mg/ml exerted by the ethanol extracts of Ocimum gratissimum at 200 mg/ml concentration against bacterial and fungal isolates respectively and these values were not significantly different (p < 0.05) with the value of the control (5.21 ± 1.04 mg/ml).  Ethanol extracts of O. gratissimum L. leaves at 200 mg/ml concentration recorded highest tannin, alkaloid, flavonoid and phenol values of 12.53 ± 0.08 mg/ml, 0.910 ± 0.010 mg/ml, 0.765 ± 0.015 mg/ml and 0.805 ± 0.005 mg/ml respectively when compared with its aqueous and CSL extracts. The antimicrobial potency of Ocimum gratissimum leaves is determined so that the nutritional and medicinal properties could be exploited judiciously. The results confirm the effective use of this plant in medicine, food system and pharmacy.

Keywords: Alternative, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, Extracts, Corn Steep Liquor (CSL)