Abstract

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Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the major problems encountered in the field of chemotherapy worldwide. Some pathogenic bacteria are becoming resistant to most potent antibiotics used in hospitals and clinics; this necessitate for the search of new and promising antibacterial agents. In view of that, the antibacterial activity of stem bark extracts of D. mespiliformis and B. serrata locally used for the treatment of haemorrhoids against bacterial isolates sourced from haemorrhoid lesions in patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospitals, Kano was investigated. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stem bark were obtained and screened for phytochemical constituents using cold maceration technique. Swabs were aseptically collected using sterile swabsticks and screened for bacterial pathogens. Isolates were identified using cultural, biochemical and molecular techniques. Antibacterial activity of low and high concentrations of the extracts was determined using agar well diffusion technique. The results of the phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of phenols, cardiac glycosides, steroids, flavonoids, tannins and anthraquinones in the extracts. The bacterial species identified were Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter agglomerans, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella arizonae, Salmonella enterica, Salmonella Typhi, Shigellla dysentriae and Citrobacter freundii. The results of the antibacterial activity of the extracts revealed low activity of both the low and high concentrations of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the two plants against the test organisms; zones diameter of inhibition ranging from 6.00-12.45mm were recorded; the well diameter was 6mm. In conclusion, the crude stem bark extracts of the two plants possessed weak antibacterial activity. It is recommended that other plants’ parts should be tested for antibacterial activity.

Keywords: Phytochemical screening, Antibacterial activity, Clinical isolates, Agar well diffusion technique