Adeshina G.O., Kunle O.F., Onaolapo J.A., Ehinmidu J.O., Odama L.E.
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Department of Medicinal Plant Research, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu - Abuja, Nigeria; Department of Biological Sci
Adeshina, G.O., Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Kunle, O.F., Department of Medicinal Plant Research, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu - Abuja, Nigeria; Onaolapo, J.A., Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Ehinmidu, J.O., Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Odama, L.E., Department of Biological Sciences, Kogi State University, Anyingba, Nigeria
Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. & Thonn.) Muell. Arg. has been widely used in traditional medicine in West Africa for the treatment of microbial infections. Antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extracts of the leaf of Alchornea cordifolia and its resultant fractions when partitioned with hexane and distilled water, hexane fraction and residual aqueous fraction, was carried out using agar well diffusion and agar dilution methods against standard organisms viz: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 and Candida albicans ATCC 18804. Using the bioassay-guided fractionation by employing the accelerated gradient chromatography (AGC) technique, seventy-seven fractions were further elucidated from the residual aqueous fraction. The rate at which the residual aqueous fraction was able to kill the organisms was also determined using standard microbiology method. The zones of inhibition showed by the extracts and fractions ranged from 11 mm - 25 mm. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations were between 0.625 mg/ml - 20 mg/ml while the Minimum Bactericidal/Fungicidal Concentrations ranged from 1.25 mg/ml - 20.0 mg/ml. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were totally killed after 2 hours while Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were killed later. Alchornea cordifolia leaf demonstrated important antimicrobial activity which may underlie their beneficial effect on microbial infection. © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2011.