Abstract
Hydroalcoholic extracts of four different plant species [Artimesia absinthum L. (Asteraceae), Asparagusafricanus Lam. (Liliaceae), Datura stramonium L. (Solanaceae) and Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae)]commonly used in traditional medicine in Ethiopia for the treatment of skin disorders were evaluated fortheir potential antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria (Escherhia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and fungi (Candida albicans, Epidermophyton floccosum,Microsporum canis, Trichophyton verrucosum, and Trichophyton violaceum) using agar diffusion method. Allthe extracts showed antibacterial activities against one or more test organisms. The extract of N. sativa seedsexhibited the highest antibacterial activity against all the bacterial species tested. The minimum inhibitoryconcentrations (MICs) of the methanolic extract of N. sativa seeds were 0.156 and 2.5 mg/ml on standardstrains of S. aureus and C. albicans, respectively. Successive extraction of the seeds of N. sativa withpetroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and methanol revealed that the chloroform extract exhibited largerdiameter of zone of inhibitions against the test organisms. Phytochemical screening of the total extract of N.sativa powdered seeds revealed the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, and steroids which arethought to be responsible for the activity of the extracts of N. sativa seeds. Of the various, topicalformulations of the crude extract of N. sativa seeds, the O/W emulsion based formulation showed largerdiameter of zone of inhibition. In mice paw oedema induced by carrageenan, the crude extract of N. sativa ata dose of 300 mg/kg showed the strongest anti-inflammatory activity (64.2%) followed by A. Africanus(50.1%).
 Keywords: skin disorders, plant extracts, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity, minimum inhibitoryconcentration
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