A comparative study of the antibacterial activity of aqueous ethanol and chloroform extracts of some selected medicinal plants used in Igalaland of Nigeria

Some plants used in Igala speaking areas of Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria against a wide range of infectious diseases were studied to determine the basis for the choice of water as the solvent for the extraction of the active components by the natives. The results obtained provide pharmacological evidence to support the use of the plants in the treatment of the diseases caused by the test organisms studied. The result also supports the use of water as the solvent of choice for the extraction of the active components, since the aqueous extracts were found to be more effective than the ethanol and chloroform extracts. The water extracts of all the plant sample were active against Escherichia coli. Eight were active against Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. Three of the ethanol extracts were not active against E. coli, S. typhi and five were ineffective on S. aureus. The chloroform extracts did not exert significant antibacterial activity against the three organisms.

Author(s): Dickson A. MUSA, Fred O.C. NWODO and Ganiyu O. YUSUF

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