African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (12), pp. 1443-1451, December 2005          
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2005 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Activity profiles of fourteen selected medicinal plants from Rural Venda communities in South Africa against fifteen clinical bacterial species

Samie A.^{1, 3}, Obi C.L.^1*, Bessong P.O.¹ Namrita L.²

¹University of Venda for Science and Technology, P/Bag X5050 Thohoyandou, South Africa.

²University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

³Centre for Global Health, Department of Infectious diseases and international Health, University of Virginia.

*Corresponding Author. E-mail: samieamidou@yahoo.com, as8sd@virginia.edu; Tel: + (1) 434 924 5242. Fax : + (1) 434 977 5323.

Accepted 10 November, 2005

Fourteen plants used in traditional medicine in the Venda region of South Africa were screened for activity against fifteen bacterial species. Methanol, acetone and hexane extracts and in some cases essential oils were tested using the disc diffusion and the microdilution methods. Most of the extracts were active against at least one bacterial species. Methanol and acetone extracts were the most active while Gram positive bacteria were the most sensitive as compared to Gram negative bacteria. This study has revealed the strong in vitro activity of Syzigium cordatum, Peltophorum africanum, Rhoicissus tridentata, Bridelia micrantha and Ximenia caffra against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Essential oils of Lippia javanica was also effective against most of the bacterial species studied.  However, Pouzolzia mixta and Mucuna coriaceae showed less activity. Some plants were more active than commercial antibiotics. This study is the first to test the activity of the selected plants from the Venda region against such number of bacterial isolates and justifies their use by local traditional healers. The identification of the active components of the plants and the determination of the effect of these plants on the immune system will give more information on their activity. Finally, these results may be of importance in identifying candidate plants and essential oils for eventual drug design and other therapeutic purposes, respectively.        

Key words: Bacteria, Disc diffusion, Medicinal plants, Microdilution, South Africa, Venda.