title: The effect of a local mineral kadosero towards the antimicrobial activity of medicinal plant's extract: case of Lake Victoria Basin, Tarime Tanzania.
abstract: The effect of kadosero, a crude mineral used by traditional healers as a supplement to plant extracts against microbial infections was evaluated. A sample of kadosero from a local market was both analyzed for its basic composition and its role on bioactivity of plant extract. Titrimetric, Gravimetric and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric analyses were used to determine contents of the mineral kadosero. Disc Diffusion Assay was used for bioactivity screening in-vitro. Chemical analysis of kadosero revealed the presence of SO4-2 (0.0038 mg/g), Fe(2) (0.0027 mg/g), Cl(-) (232.683 mg/g) and Na(+) (151.25 mg/g). In-vitro tests revealed that supplementing extract of Balanites aegyptiaca with a mineral kadosero by using untreated well water reduced number of bacterial from 100 colony forming units to nil at a mass of a mineral between 60-100 mg. On the other hand, a mineral kadosero did not increase bioactivity of the extract of B. aegyptiaca against the test microbes in agar disc diffusion assay. This was attributed by interaction between the mineral kadosero and nutrient agar medium. The crude mineral kadosero can be supplemented to other plant extracts used locally for treatment of general bacterial infections for increased bioactivity. Further study is recommended to determine mechanisms for bacterial vulnerability to this mineral supplement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, University of Dar es salaam, P.O.Box 35060 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. onicolao@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Joseph Nicolao
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Otieno
authors.forename: Kennedy Macha Matengo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hosea
authors.forename: Herbert Valentine
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Lyaruu