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Assessment of
antimicrobial activity of crude extracts of stem and root
barks from Adansonia digitata (Bombacaceae) (African
baobab)
S. N. Masola1*,
R. D. Mosha2 and P. N. Wambura3
1Department
of Animal Health, National Livestock Research Institute, P.
O. Box 202, Mpwapwa, Tanzania.
2Department
of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and
Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine
University of Agriculture, P. O. Box 3017, Morogoro,
Tanzania.
3Department
of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.
O. Box 3019, Morogoro, Tanzania.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
snmasola@yahoo.co.uk.
Tel.: +255 784 822924, +255 712 938448.
Abbreviations: ARBE,
Aqueous root bark extract; ASBE, aqueous stem bark
extract; ERBE, ethanolic root bark extract; ESBE,
ethanolic stem bark extract; FVM, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine; MHA, Mueller-Hinton agar;
MICs, minimum inhibitory concentrations; NB,
nutrient broth; SDA, Sabouraud dextrose agar; SUA,
Sokoine university of agriculture.
Accepted
3 July, 2009 |
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This
study seeks to validate the antimicrobial activity of crude
extracts of stem
and root barks from Adansonia digitata (Bombacaceae),
investigate the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of
the extracts and bioactive constituents present in the
barks. Crude ethanolic and aqueous extracts of stem and root
barks were evaluated for antimicrobial activities using
agar-well method. Bioactive constituents were investigated
using standard procedures for phytochemical analysis. The
MICs were investigated using broth micro dilution method.
The results showed that the extracts had significant
antibacterial activity. The MICs of the plant extracts
ranged from 6 to 1.5 mg/ml. Tannins, phlobatannins,
terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and saponins were found to be
present in the stem bark. Terpenoids only were found in the
root bark. It is concluded that stem and root barks of A.
digitata contain bioactive constituents which are
responsible for antimicrobial activity of the crude
extracts.
Key
words:
Antimicrobial activity, bioactive constituents, Adansonia digitata,
minimum inhibitory concentrations. |
