Antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of ten Cameroonian vegetables against Gram-negative multidrug-resistant bacteria.
BACKGROUND
Many edible plants are used in Cameroon since ancient time to control microbial infections. This study was designed at evaluating the antibacterial activities of the methanol extracts of ten Cameroonian vegetables against a panel of twenty nine Gram negative bacteria including multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains.


METHODS
The broth microdilution method was used to determine the Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) and the Minimal Bactericidal Concentrations (MBC) of the studied extracts. When chloramphenicol was used as a reference antibiotic, the MICs were also determined in the presence of Phenylalanine-Arginine β-Naphtylamide (PAβN), an efflux pumps inhibitor (EPI). The phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed using standard methods.


RESULTS
All tested extracts exhibited antibacterial activities, with the MIC values varying from 128 to 1024 mg/L. The studied extracts showed large spectra of action, those from L. sativa, S. edule, C. pepo and S. nigrum being active on all the 29 bacterial strains tested meanwhile those from Amaranthus hybridus, Vernonia hymenolepsis, Lactuca.carpensis and Manihot esculenta were active on 96.55% of the strains used. The plant extracts were assessed for the presence of large classes of secondary metabolites: alkaloids, anthocyanins, anthraquinones, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins and triterpenes. Each studied plant extract was found to contain compounds belonging to at least two of the above mentioned classes.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm the traditional claims and provide promising baseline information for the potential use of the tested vegetables in the fight against bacterial infections involving MDR phenotypes.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
Jaurès A K
JA
Noumedem
Marius
M
Mihasan
Stephen T
ST
Lacmata
Marius
M
Stefan
Jules R
JR
Kuiate
Victor
V
Kuete
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002163:Cameroon; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts