title: Antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of Kenyan medicinal plants.
abstract: Seven medicinal plant extracts traditionally used in Kenya, mainly for management of infectious conditions, were chosen and screened for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Antibacterial activity was tested using the broth dilution method. Harrisonia abyssinica and Terminalia kilimandscharica extracts showed significant activity against Gram+ and Gram- bacteria. The methanolic extracts of T. kilimandscharica bark and H. abyssinica bark and leaves showed minimum inhibitory activity against all tested bacteria, with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from 25-150 mg/mL. Ajuga remota and Amaranthus hybridus, which are lethal to brine shrimp nauplii, showed significantly lower antibacterial activity than those that were relatively non-toxic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, PO Box 29053, 00625 Nairobi, Kenya. gwagate@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Wagate G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Cyrus
authors.forename: Gakuya W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Mark O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Nanyingi
authors.forename: Francis K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Njonge
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mbaria
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001156:Artemia / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D007630:Kenya; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts