Antimicrobial Property of Periwinkle (Catharahthus roseus) Ointment Against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Medicinal plants are excellent antimicrobial agents because they possess a variety of chemical components that are antimicrobial in nature. Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is a medicinal plant that belongs to the family Apocynaceae. The plant has been said to possess an efficient anti-bacterial, antioxidant (enzymatic and non-enzymatic), anthelmintic, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties against Staphylococcus aureus but the community does not recognize the economic value of periwinkle that made the people term it as weeds.

METHODS

Experimental method using Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was used in this research. There were 4 treatments used which were replicated three times. The treatments were as follows: T0-Penicillin G (Positive Control), T1-25% periwinkle oil extract, T2-50% periwinkle oil extract and T3-75% periwinkle oil extract. Beeswax was added to all the treatments to make it as an ointment. Laboratory testing was done at Saint Mary's University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was the statistical tool used in this study to determine its significance difference and Least Significant Difference (LSD) to determine the best treatment on the antimicrobial property of periwinkle ointment against Staphylococcus aureus.

RESULTS

Treatment 3 has the largest zone of inhibition reaching a mean total of 18.27, followed by Treatment 2 reaching a mean total of 16.23, Treatment 1 reaching a mean total of 14.33 and lastly, Treatment 0 has a mean total of 13.47 in terms of zone of inhibition.

DISCUSSIONS

The result was statistically treated using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Significant Difference (LSD) Test and revealed that there is an effect on the antimicrobial property of periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) ointment against Staphylococcus aureus in terms of zone of inhibition.