ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF ROOT EXTRACTS OF AFRICAN PEACH (SARCOCEPHALUS ESCULENTUS AFZEL) ON SOME HUMAN PATHOGENS

Okoro, I.S.

Department of Chemistry

 University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

E-mail: ijdivinefavour1@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The roots extract of Sarcocephalus esculentus (African peach) was tested on some human pathogens; Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Kleibsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the bacteria isolates used. The organic solvents used for the extraction of active mycolides of the medicinal plant root were, ethanol, chloroform, methanol and petroleum ether.  S. typhi, K. pneumonia and S. aureus, showed a high sensitivity to root extracts of S. esculentus, while E. coli and P. aeruginosa were resistant to all the extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of the extracts on the organisms ranged between 0.0625-0.125mg/ml for S. typhi and 0.125-0.5mg/ml for K. pneumonia, and 0.125mg/ml for S. aureus. The solvent type of extract, concentrations of the root extracts and the organisms were factors that affected the antimicrobial activity.

Keywords.  Antmicrobial, human pathogens, mycolide, medicinal plant.