title: The in-vitro antimicrobial activities of some medicinal plants from Cameroon.
abstract: The antimicrobial activities of 10 plant species (Voacanga africana, Crepis cameroonica, Plagiostyles africana, Crotalaria retusa, Mammea africana, Lophira lanceolata, Ochna afzelii, Ouratea elongata, Ou. flava and Ou. sulcata), each of which is currently used in the traditional medicine of Cameroon, were investigated in vitro. The activities of a methanol extract of each plant were tested, in disc-diffusion assays, against 37 reference or laboratory strains of seven species of microorganism (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Enterococcus hirae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). The minimal inhibitory concentrations of each extract were then estimated, against each of the more susceptible microorganisms (i.e. those giving an inhibition zone measuring at least 9 mm in diameter in the disc-diffusion assays), by agar dilution. Although, in the disc-diffusion assays, each of the 10 methanol extracts investigated displayed some degree of antimicrobial activity against at least one species of microorganism, no activity against the Gram-negative bacteria (Es. coli, K. pneumoniae and Ps. aeruginosa) was observed. The extract with the greatest antimicrobial activity was that of Pl. africana (Euphorbiaceae).
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies, P.O. Box 8404, Yaoundé, Cameroon. jgangoue@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gangoué-Piéboji
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pegnyemb
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niyitegeka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nsangou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eze
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minyem
authors.forename: J Ngo
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Mbing
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ngassam
authors.forename: R Ghogomu
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Tih
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Sodengam
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002163:Cameroon; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D000432:Methanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000432:Methanol