Effectiveness of Katakataka Leaves Extract as an Antibacterial Against S. epidermidis and E. coli

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The use of herbs in healing wounds is a practice of people since time immemorial. Phytochemical screening of some selected plant species confirms the presence of alkaloids, triterpenes, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, bufadienolides, lipids and organic acids, components that give a plant potential antibacterial properties. Nowadays, the use of alternative medicine is popular considering the high cost of synthetic medicine and the possible development of genetic resistance of some bacteria to synthetic antibiotic drugs. Hence, the researchers ventured to find out whether the Bryophyllum pinnatum bearing active phytochemical compounds would be a potential antibacterial agent against S. epidermidis and E. coli.

METHODS

The standard procedure was followed in preparing the Mueller Hinton Agar. The antimicrobial potential of Bryophyllum pinnatum was determined following the protocols used for the antimicrobial assay.

RESULTS

Theresult showed from the study that extracts from katakataka leaves have no significant effect on the sample test bacteria. However, positive control is showed a highly significant effect on both bacteria which E. coli and S. epidermidis. It had a p-value of 0.05 (DMRT).

DISCUSSIONS

The sample extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum produced moderate activity of inhibition with moderate reactivity against S. epidermidis. The sample-free disc, which served as positive control produced complete inhibitory activity with severe reactivity, while the negative control produced a negative inhibitory activity and no reactivity against the test organisms.