title: Antimicrobial spectrum of Alchornea cordifolia leaf extract.
abstract: The 50% aqueous ethanol extract of Alchornea cordifolia (Schum and Thonn) Muell. Arg. leaf was screened for activity against 74 microbial strains representing aerobic, facultative and anaerobic bacteria as well as fungi. The panel of test strains included organisms from culture collections as well as clinical and environmental isolates. A concentration of 5 mg/mL of extract inhibited 36.5% of the isolates and 95.9% were inhibited by a concentration of 20 mg/mL. Only three strains, all filamentous fungi, were not susceptible to 40 mg/mL of the extract, the highest concentration tested. The extract showed the best activity against gram-positive bacteria and yeasts with inhibitory concentrations against these organisms being under 5 mg/mL. The results demonstrate that the A. cordifolia extract has a very broad spectrum of activity and suggests that it may be useful in the treatment of various microbial infections.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors: I N
authors: IN
authors: Okeke
authors: A O
authors: AO
authors: Ogundaini
authors: F O
authors: FO
authors: Ogungbamila
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lamikanra
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009549:Nigeria; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts