Comparative Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activities of Ethanol Leaf Extracts of Moringa oleifera (Lamarck) and Dialium guineense (Jacqueline)

Abstract

The antibacterial activities of many medicinal plants have been carried out to assess their potential use in bacteria borne diseases. In this study the antibacterial activities of two medicinal plants, Moringa oleifera and Dialium guineense as well as their phytochemical contents were carried out and compared. Their leaves were collected separately, dried, pulverized to powder and extracted with ethanol. The phytochemical analysis of M. oleifera and D. guineense extracts were carried out using standard methods, while their antibacterial activities were evaluated and compare using some bacterial isolates and by agar well diffusion method. The result of the phytochemical screening showed that both plants possess the same phytochemicals with exemption of steroids which is present only in D. guineense, and cardiac glycosides only present in M. oleifera. The results of the antibacterial activities are as follows; on Staphylococcus aureus, at concentration of 100 mg/ml, M. oleifera and D. guineense gave inhibition zone diameters (IZD) of 9.5± 0.30mm and 7.5 ± 0.14mm respectively, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.25% and 0.625% respectively. On Streptococcus pneumonia, at concentration of 100mg/ml M. oleifera and D. guineense gave IZD of 8.5± 0.26mm and 8.5 ± 0.26 mm respectively, with (MIC) of 0.625% and 1.25% respectively. On Escherichia coli, at 100 mg/ml, M. oleifera and D. guineesne gave IZD of 10.0± 0.34mm and 8.5 ± 0.26 mm respectively, (MIC) of 2.5% and 1.25% respectively. On Pseudomonas aeruginosa at concentration of 100 mg/ml, M. oleifera and D. guineense gave IZD of 9.5± 0.32mm and 7.0± 0.09mm respectively. Examination of these results showed that M. oleifera is slightly more active than D. guineesne.