In vitro and in vivo evaluation of antibacterial activity of Bridelia ferruginea extracts on some clinical isolates

Abstract

The ethanol extracts of root, bark and leaf of Bridelia ferruginea was investigated for antibacterial activity against clinical isolate of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The extracts had significant antibacterial activity in vitro at concentration of 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml and 200 mg/ml and in vivo at dose of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg. The root extract in vitro had the highest zone of inhibition, followed by the bark extract for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The concentration of 200 mg/ml had the highest zone of inhibition in vitro. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed a decreasing inhibitory effect of the plant extracts for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as the concentration decreases with root having 3.125 mg/ml, bark having 6.25 mg/ml and leaf having 25 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Likewise, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) showed decreasing bactericide effects with decrease concentration with root having 12.5 mg/ml, bark having 12.5 mg/ml and leaf having 25 mg/ml for Escherichia coli while root had 6.25mg/ml, bark had 12.5mg/ml and leaf had 25mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus. The in vivo investigation showed that the root and bark extract exhibited antibacterial activity on both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at doses of 100mg/kg and 50mg/kg; the root extract had higher activity than the bark and root/bark combined. The dose of 100 mg/kg had the highest colonies reduction for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in vivo. Preliminary phytochemical screening of root, bark and leaves of Bridelia ferruginea revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycoside (root, bark and leaves), saponins (root and bark). The presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoid, cardiac glycoside and carbohydrate in the bark and root extracts of the plant indicates that the bark and root extracts were pharmacological importance.