ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF BLOOD TREE (HARUNGANA MADAGASCARIENSIS LAM EX. PIOR) ON SOME HUMAN PATHOGENS

Okoro, I.S.

Department of Chemistry

University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

E-mail: ijdivinefavour1@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT.

In developing countries like Nigeria, it is important that serious attention be given to most human pathogens. Five pathogens were used for the study of the antimicrobial effect of Harungana madagascariensis leaf extract on some human pathogens. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Kleibsiella pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the bacteria isolates used. Solvents used for the extraction of active ingredients of the medicinal plant leaf were, ethanol, chloroform, methanol and petroleum ether (organic solvents). The antibacterial effect of the plant extract showed that the organic solvents extracts were inhibitory to S. typhi and S. aureus, while E. coli, K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa showed resistance 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 0.125-0.25mg/ml for S. aureus. Static effects varied with solvent type of extracts, concentrations of the leaf extracts and the organisms.

 KEYWORDS:  Antimicrobial, human pathogen, medicinal plant, Nigeria