Antimicrobial Potential of Moringa peregrina Against Some Causative Agents of Urogenital Infections

Abstract

Abstract
 Aim: To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial effectiveness of aqueous and methanol extracts from Moringa peregrina leaves against standard strains of microorganisms and clinical isolates.
 Study Design: An experimental study which was carried out at the microbiology laboratory, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute (MAPRI), Khartoum, Sudan, during the period from September 2012 to March 2013.
 Methodology: Aqueous and methanol extracts of Moringa peregrina at concentration of 100 mg/ml were subjected to antimicrobial screening against six standard strains include Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 53657), Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 6380), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Candida albicans (ATCC 7596) and 133 clinical isolates including bacterial and fungal species. Screening for antimicrobial activity of extracts, standard antibiotics and antifungal drug were detected by the agar well diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) for the tested extracts were determined by using the broth dilution method. The MDIZs of clinical isolates were analyzed statistically using One-Way analysis of variance.
 Results: Methanol extract of Moringa peregrina leaves revealed prominent activity against standard strains compared to the aqueous extract of the same plant where the diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) was ranged from 18 mm to 21 mm. The aqueous extract exhibited moderate activity which was ranged from 16 mm to 17 mm. The MIC of leaves methanol extract of Moringa peregrina for standard bacterial strains was ranged from ˂6.25 to 12.50 mg/ml, while the MBC was ranged from 6.25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml. Standard strain and clinical isolates of Candida albicans was inhibited by 25 mg/ml from methanol extract, while the MFC was 50 mg/ml. The highest MDIZs obtained by the leaves methanol extract of Moringa peregrina on the clinical isolates was 18.93±3.07 mm for Escherichia coli, 18.50±2.07 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 18.62±2.72 mm for Proteus mirabilis and 18.11±2.47 mm for Staphylococcus saprophyticus. The antifungal activity of leaves methanol extract of Moringa peregrina on clinical isolates of Candida albicans was 16.56±1.62 mm which was lower than activity of Candizole 5 mg/ml. Moringa peregrina leaves extract showed varied MICs values towards clinical isolates which was ranged from 6.25 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml, while the MBC of the same isolates was from 25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml.
 Finally, Methanol extract of Moringa peregrina was found to be effective against both the standard strains and clinical isolates compared to the aqueous extract.