Screening of some Kenyan Medicinal Plants for Antibacterial Activity
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Date
2006Author
Mbaria, James, M.
Gakuya, Daniel, W.
Njuguna, Anne
Yunis, S.N.
Kaburia, A.N.
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study reports on the bioactivity and in vitro
antimicrobial action of methanol extract of Withania
somnifera using in vitro cultures of Staphylococcus
aureus,Escherichiacoli,Candidaalbicans,Salmonella
typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The
extract of W. somniferum inhibited the growth of S.
aureus and C.albicans but not E. coli,S. typhimurium
and P. aeruginosa. The diameters of the zones of
inhibitions of microbial growth ranged from 14 mm
to 16 mm. The results of antimicrobial testing of W.
somnifera extract indicated that it has antimicrobial
properties, which support its continued use as a
herbal remedy. Comparative toxicity of extracts of W.
somnifera and Chrysananthemum cinerariaefolium
(pyrethrum plant) was done using the brine shrimp
lethality test at serial dilutions of 1000 pgfml, 100 pg/
ml and 10 pg/ml. The median lethal concentration
(LCso) for each extract was determined. Both plant
extracts were found to be toxic to brine shrimp with
LCso of110.3 pg/ml and 106.6 pg/ml for W. somnifera
and C. cinerarieafolium respectively.
Citation
The Kenya Veterinarian 30 (2) 2006Publisher
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi Department of clinical studies, University of Nairobi
Subject
Brine Shrimp ToxicityWithenia somnifera
Chrysanthemum einerariaefolium extracts
Vitro Antimicrobial
Description
Journal article